With Hurricane Florence pushing off of the East Coast, stores across the region are selling out of emergency supplies, specifically water.
Local stores in Williamsburg are restocking their supplies as quickly as possible to prepare for the incoming weather.
As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, Farm Fresh in Norge and Food Lion in Williamsburg reported being out of water. Farm Fresh expects another shipment of 25 pallets of water and supplies to be delivered Wednesday and ready for purchase by the afternoon, said Matt Casparriello, the store’s assistant manager.
“We are supplying as quickly as we can, but people are buying water fast enough that I wouldn’t tell anyone to wait till Thursday to buy some,” he said.
Food Lion also is waiting to restock its water supply. Store manager Katie Walden said the store hopes to have more water delivered by the end of the day but will certainly have more water available tomorrow. The store currently has milk, bread and other emergency supplies available.
The Walmart store in Williamsburg brought in an extra tractor-trailer full of water and supplies Monday afternoon, store manager Amanda Hairfield said. However, she said, once the water is put out on the floor, there is immediately a line of customers ready to purchase it.
The store has increased staffing to handle the demand. Extra shipments will arrive today and tomorrow.
“We are taking all of the necessary precautions to make sure our community is served in preparation for this event,” Hairfield said.
The Kroger in York still has water for purchase as well as other supplies such as milk, bread and canned goods, according to corporate affairs manager Allison McGee. The store is preparing to receive shipments of water and supplies on both Tuesday evening and tomorrow morning.
Generators are also being shipped to Kroger stores throughout the region to help them remain open in the event of a power outage. The store has also added extra staff and drivers to ensure emergency supplies and products stay stocked as needed.
This story will be updated as more information is received.
