FIRST PERSON | Chesapeake, Va., hurricane essentials are going fast: Gasoline; water; breads; and, of course, beer are getting scarce. What is a hurricane without a party? While stocking up on supplies for Hurricane Irene, a hard lesson was brought home: Don’t wait for tomorrow what you can do today.
While out shopping for hurricane supplies, that point was driven home quickly. I decided to do everything the next day. And that delay cost me dearly. Gassing up the Honda Pilot, the local 7-11 on Volvo Boulevard had only premium gasoline left. That delay added an extra $.30 a gallon over the regular gasoline price as I filled up an empty vehicle.
Shopping in the local Harris Teeter on Greenbriar Boulevard, many food commodities are in short supply already. Breads, water and beer were the most emptied out shelve spaces seen.
Speaking with Nasha of the Harris Teeter, she estimated, on average, that “60-70 gallons of water were being sold per hour.” The store was unloading the trucks and just leaving the water on the floor space, not even bothering to put it back on the shelves. Keeping up with customers was now futile.
Still, cautious optimism is still the prevalent attitude. Kevin, a retired sailor, is banking on the storm turning out to sea: “99 percent of all storms turn.” Let’s just hope Kevin is right.