I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Understand Panic Shopping…
If you have been paying attention to the news you might know that the state in which I live is expected to get hit by a massive hurricane on Saturday, possibly the most powerful hurricane in history. Her name is Florence and she is over 400 miles across with winds around 150 mph making her a category 4 for the moment.
For days the emergency stations have been broadcasting all of the things citizens should do to get prepared. The interstates have been reversed with all lanes leading away from the coast being used for mandatory evacuations. And of course people have been flooding the grocery stores buying up everything, especially water.
I was in my local grocery store yesterday and everything is gone. It looks as if the store is closing because there is no produce, no water, no milk, no eggs, no bread, no Gatorade, no can goods, nothing. I was not in the store panic shopping, but I was there because we needed a few things to eat for dinner.
I will never understand what I call “panic” shopping. Sometimes I think The Weather Channel and grocery stores are in cahoots to help the industry make more money. There are people buying 5 cases of water who do not drink water. If you are the person who drinks 40 Cokes per week and never drinks water, then why are you now buying water? Because you are told to stock up on water? Buy Coca-Cola and leave the water to people like me who only drink water! And this same person who never, ever eats a vegetable buys up every can of green beans available.
I will never understand it. Stay safe. Stay dry. And I hope you have a great, hurricane-free Thursday!
Danny
I think it’s because panic causes people to act irrationally. They would resort to do something they wouldn’t do under normal circumstances
I was teasing a friend of mine who bought a lot of water. He never drinks water. He’ll be giving it to me next week. lol
Ahah good for you then! 😂
I get stocking up if you’re near the coast, and attempting to stay and ride it out…which is dumb, by the way. What I don’t get are why people wait until 2-3 days before it arrives to try and stock up.
And stocking up in Charlotte??!! lol We will get rain, but that is all. Yet, people are buying the stores out of stock.
Thats a bit extreme. However, from one end of this storm to the other is roughly 400 miles wide. I wouldn’t assume it’ll be just rain, and it’s gonna be a shitload rain at that. Power outages, downed trees, and flooding aren’t out of the question for y’all. Don’t take it lightly.
Maybe I’m taking it lightly. Today I am going to go buy batteries and such.
It’s a big one. I’ve heard expect widespread outages as far inland as Atlanta. Y’all will get some action, I’d assume. Be careful.
So far we have nothing, but the storm is only moving 1 mph. Slow and steady wins the race?!
No. Slow moving is ass kicking. 40”-50” of rain on top of storm surge on top of inland flooding. Nobody is outta the woods yet. Thing is just creeping along. That’s bad, bad news.
That is what the weather people are saying. My friends on the coast evacuated so fewer people means fewer deaths.
True. If only everyone would listen. Some people are just stubborn, and I’m sure there’s people who had no way to leave. Hopefully that number is minimal.
And your place at the beach is in the crosshairs. I’ll say a prayer for y’all if you’ll say a prayer for Ocracoke. Fingers crossed.
Thank you. The outer banks got crushed it appears.
It was a rough night for Ocracoke, but it could’ve been a whole lot worse. Haven’t seen many images yet, but from what a friend of ours from out there says it’s flooded but not mych severe wind damage. We’ll see. Hope your all’s place fares ok tomorrow. If it ever leaves NC. 😏
don’t get blown away out there
We should get 30 mph winds and some rain. From looking at the stores you would think Charlotte is located on the coast.
I have recently moved to a hurricane region. As a newbie, I did not know what to expect. I had people telling me months ago to stock up on water. Why? Because I will have no tap water (tea, coffee), no shower water, and no toilet water. Now, it does not make too much sense, but I’m new to this, remember? I still didn’t stock up. There are always those who go crazy, and those who shrug it off completely. I think I fall in the middle. I panicked for a brief second when at the start of the hurricane season I went to the store, walked through the beverage aisle, saw “HURRICANE SEASON” signs and missing water jugs. I calmed down quickly, though.
Stay safe.
You as well.
Fear! The truth is the news media thrives on bad news and fear. The fear and panic creates more news; now they can go to the stores and show all the shelves empty and the viewer feels more fear panics because they did not go out an buy hordes of stuff the day before. I understand the media must report news about potentially life threatening situations but it all just snowballs into massive fear and the resulting panic.
It’s collusion I tell ya! lol
Fear really is the mind killer. A lot of panic shoppers would probably be better off going to visit their cousin in Ohio for a week or two.
It is incredible to see so many people with multiple shopping carts full of stuff. It’s as if the world is coming to an end.
I think that most people don’t have a prepared plan for emergency supplies and when they get to the store they just start grabbing stuff.
People buy all the water to use in cooking and flushing the toilet when your power goes out and the water may be compromised. The news does go on and on but those of us born and raised in hurricane territory are usually prepared with batteries, gas for the generator and a lot of water and ice. Be safe! My family is in Charleston and St.Simons Island and they left.
I get the use of the water. I question to volume of water being purchased in Charlotte NC. All along they have been forecasting 30 mph winds for us and rain. Going to the grocery store to buy 10+ cases of water seems a bit excessive, but to each their own I guess.
It’s crazy. At least with tornadoes and earthquakes here we don’t have to run shop!
All you guys, stay safe, the rest of the world is keeping an eye on you. It might not be as bad as they make out, but then it might be. Panic buying is reacting to fear, better to always have a little stock if possible in the house and relax. But it is easy for me to say so, we do not experience such storms around here. Take care.
Thank you. It seems that our area is not going to get hit too hard.
My perspective, which was changed drastically in 1989, after going without power for a couple of weeks, which in it’self on would think isn’t a huge deal. We received a similar forecast in September of 89. People running here & there collecting this & that. For what? Silly people, we will get a little rain maybe some wind, what’s the big deal? I was a scoffer, after all, and Hurricanes were for the coast. Seriously, how many Hurricanes did we have in Charlotte? I had lived here my whole life, it’s just unthinkable.
We went to bed, unconcerned about the weather, only to awaken a few (3 or4) hours to the most horrendous noises, my ears had heard. when I looked out our front window the 3 pines I could see, were bent over the tops touching the ground. This scoffer was being schooled.
What I learned during my schooling is is that a 2 & 1/2-year-old didn’t care that there is a tree laying across your vehicle, nor that the power isn’t coming on till it does, she still wants to be fed and sitting in the dark is not ever an option. I learned that into the 2nd week of no power you are grateful for AM radio channels,(even talk radio), so one should always keep extra batteries, or you might just go mad. I learned that not only does the kid want to eat, but so does the hubby, so charcoal is a good idea as well, cause peanut butter is only an option for so long.
I learned that the weather forecasters are only making their best-educated guess and really have very little idea to the outcome. I learned that having great neighbors and knowing them is a huge advantage, especially ones with chainsaws. Best of all I learned that you pray for the best & prepare for the worst.
Fortunately, I went shopping with a friend who grew up in Flordia, who insisted I buy water/ batteries/ food etc.. She was so certain I needed these things she was going to buy them for me, Reluctantly I bought it all.. I have been forever grateful to my friend, cause her insistence prepared us for an unthinkable, impossible event.
Now go make Maw-maw proud!!! You know you want to…
Might should go buy that new club, in case you have extra time to practice that swing seems like the perfect excuse, Just saying… LoL
Love you!!
Love you too. I went to the store yesterday and bought some canned goods and 1 case of water to get us through the weekend. I imagine that is all we will need. We have flashlights and candles in case the power goes out. other than that we have books and board games for entertainment. 🙂
We brought two big things of Peanut butter.. As long as I got Peanut butter I will survive… LoL
Stay safe Danny. You will be in my prayers.
Thank you!
Be safe Danny!
Thank you. We are hunkered down with supplies and riding it out. Nothing yet but some wind.
Hopefully it’s not too much more.
Stay well and be safe Danny.
Thank you!