diff --git a/src/hdx_cli/cli_interface/common/undecorated_click_commands.py b/src/hdx_cli/cli_interface/common/undecorated_click_commands.py
index 193164c..3a8a6dc 100644
--- a/src/hdx_cli/cli_interface/common/undecorated_click_commands.py
+++ b/src/hdx_cli/cli_interface/common/undecorated_click_commands.py
@@ -183,6 +183,8 @@ def _get_dotted_key_from_dict(dotted_key, the_dict):
     val = the_dict[key_path[0]]
     if len(key_path) > 1:
         for key_piece in key_path[1:]:
+            if val is None:
+                return KeyAbsent()
             val = val[key_piece]
     return val
 
@@ -327,16 +329,13 @@ def _settings_update(resource: Dict[str, Any],
                      value: Any):
     "Update resource and return it with updated_data"
     key_parts = key.split('.')
-    if len(key_parts) == 1:
-        resource[key_parts[0]] = json.loads(value)
-        return resource
     the_value = None
     try:
         the_value = json.loads(value)
     except json.JSONDecodeError:
         the_value = value
-    resource_key = resource[key_parts[0]]
-    for k in key_parts[1:-1]:
+    resource_key = resource
+    for k in key_parts[0:-1]:
         resource_key = resource_key[k]
 
     resource_key[key_parts[-1]] = the_value
diff --git a/src/hdx_cli/cli_interface/storage/commands.py b/src/hdx_cli/cli_interface/storage/commands.py
index b9b1554..ebca2fa 100644
--- a/src/hdx_cli/cli_interface/storage/commands.py
+++ b/src/hdx_cli/cli_interface/storage/commands.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
                                                dynamic_confirmation_prompt)
 from ...library_api.common.context import ProfileUserContext
 from ...library_api.common.logging import get_logger
-from ..common.undecorated_click_commands import basic_create_with_body_from_string
+from ..common.undecorated_click_commands import basic_create_with_body_from_string, basic_create_from_dict_body
 from ..common.undecorated_click_commands import basic_delete, basic_settings
 from ..common.rest_operations import (list_ as command_list,
                                       show as command_show)
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
 
 
 @click.group(help="Storage-related operations")
-@click.option('--storage', 'storage_name', help='Perform operation on the passed storage.',
-              metavar='STORAGENAME', default=None)
+@click.option('--storage', 'storage_name', metavar='STORAGENAME', default=None,
+              help='Perform operation on the passed storage.')
 @click.pass_context
 def storage(ctx: click.Context,
             storage_name):
@@ -29,19 +29,52 @@ def storage(ctx: click.Context,
                                       storagename=storage_name)
 
 
-@click.command(help='Create storage.')
-@click.argument('storage_filename')
+@click.command(help='Create storage. You can either specify a settings file using'
+               'the -f or --settings-filename option, or provide the storage '
+               'configuration directly using the -p, -n, -r, and -c options.')
 @click.argument('storage_name')
+@click.option('-f', '--settings-filename', default=None, required=False,
+              help='Filename containing storage configuration settings.')
+@click.option('-p', '--bucket-path', default=None, required=False,
+              help='Path to the storage bucket.')
+@click.option('-n', '--bucket-name', default=None, required=False,
+              help='Name of the storage bucket.')
+@click.option('-r', '--region', default=None, required=False,
+              help='Region for the storage bucket.')
+@click.option('-c', '--cloud', default=None, required=False,
+              help='Type of cloud storage (e.g., aws, gcp).')
 @click.pass_context
 @report_error_and_exit(exctype=Exception)
 def create(ctx: click.Context,
-           storage_filename: str,
-           storage_name: str):
+           storage_name: str,
+           settings_filename: str,
+           bucket_path: str,
+           bucket_name: str,
+           region: str,
+           cloud: str):
+    if not settings_filename and not all((bucket_path, bucket_name, region, cloud)):
+        raise click.BadParameter("You must specify either a settings file or the bucket path, name, region, and cloud.")
+
     user_profile = ctx.parent.obj.get('usercontext')
     resource_path = ctx.parent.obj.get('resource_path')
-    with open(storage_filename, "r", encoding="utf-8") as file:
-        basic_create_with_body_from_string(user_profile, resource_path,
-                                           storage_name, file.read())
+
+    if settings_filename:
+        with open(settings_filename, "r", encoding="utf-8") as file:
+            basic_create_with_body_from_string(user_profile,
+                                               resource_path,
+                                               storage_name,
+                                               file.read())
+    else:
+        storage_settings_list = [('bucket_path', bucket_path),
+                                 ('bucket_name', bucket_name),
+                                 ('region', region),
+                                 ('cloud', cloud)]
+        body = {
+            'name': storage_name,
+            'settings': {key: value for key, value in storage_settings_list}
+        }
+        basic_create_from_dict_body(user_profile, resource_path, body)
+
     logger.info(f'Created storage {storage_name}')
 
 
@@ -52,9 +85,8 @@ def create(ctx: click.Context,
 
 
 @click.command(help='Delete resource.')
-@click.option('--disable-confirmation-prompt',
-              is_flag=True,
-              help='Suppress confirmation to delete resource.', show_default=True, default=False)
+@click.option('--disable-confirmation-prompt', is_flag=True, show_default=True, default=False,
+              help='Suppress confirmation to delete resource.')
 @click.argument('resource_name')
 @click.pass_context
 @report_error_and_exit(exctype=Exception)