Western Digital Says HDD Supplies Have Been Impacted By Flooding In Thailand

Two of the biggest firms in the traditional HDD storage market are Western Digital and Seagate. WD has announced that its production of HDDs for external storage and internal notebook and desktop storage has been impacted in Thailand by flooding. The flooding may cause shortages of parts and HDDs that are needed for computers and other products to be offered on the market.

WD says that it is working with its suppliers to maximize its current throughput and parts availability to meet the demands of customers. WD notes that in the quarter that ended on July 1 2011 it shipped 54 million HDDs from facilities located in Thailand and Malaysia. The facilities in Thailand were responsible for 60% of that amount.

WD reports that the flooding is affecting the regions infrastructure including transportation and utilities and this has resulted in the inundation of some facilities and employee homes. The company does note that 37,000 of its workers in that area have been deemed safe. The facilities in Thailand are operational, but production has been suspended to protect workers and the facility from water. Updates will be offered on the investment call to be held October 19.