Photo credits: Dalilah Posley.
Florida residents have stocking up on hurricane essentials and food supplies to
prepare for Hurricane Ian as it heads toward the Sunshine State as a Category 3 storm.
Saturday, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency as Ian began to shift to
Florida. Meteorologists predict this hurricane will bring heavy rain and intense wind to
Northern Florida by the end of this week.
Many Floridians have already headed to local grocery stores and home improvement
stores to stock up on necessities to better prepare for the hurricane.
Hannah Herring, a Publix media relations manager, says the company has seen an
increase in food, bread, water and battery sales following the state of emergency
announcement.
“Our top priority is the safety of our associates, customers and communities,” Herring
said. “Publix will continue to make product deliveries as long as it is safe to do so.”
Emma Jackson, a 65-year-old Tallahassee native, says if she can count on any store to
have the goods she’s looking for, without a doubt, it’s Publix.
“Hail, rain, sleet or snow, whatever the weather condition is, I’m going to Publix,”
Jackson said. “Publix always has the correct items. I know if something is out of stock,
they’ll have it in a few hours or the next day. My hurricane list is completed, thanks to
Publix.”
While some people are getting food supplies, others are buying generators, lumber and
shutters to protect their homes.
Hurricane Michael hit the panhandle over four years ago. The aftermath left a lot of
businesses closed and affected many people’s living conditions due to power outages
and damage by the storm.
Home improvement stores are focusing on having more than enough supplies for this
tropical storm.
Ricky Moreno, a leader in management at Lowe’s, believes the company’s mission is to
give back to the community.
“Here at Lowe’s, we want to ensure all our resources, such as propane tanks,
generators and flashlights,” Moreno said. ” We make sure to have an abundance of
supplies available to the customers at a difficult time like this.”
Samuel Watts, a regular shopper, is confident that the hurricane won’t affect his home
too much because he’s stocked up on the right supplies this season.
“A few years back, during hurricane Michael, I spent a lot of money on my property after
the hurricane aftermath,” Watts said. “After almost losing everything, Lowe’s set me up
on the right plan with renovating my home. It’s better to shop now than suffer the
consequences later.”