Hurricane Irma Drives Floridians to Clear Grocery Shelves

In preparation for the impact of Hurricane Irma, Floridians and residents in their neighboring states are frantically preparing for the massive storm, which is expected to make landfall with tropical storm-force winds in south Florida as early as Saturday morning.

Amid rampant reports of mass confusion in grocery stores caused by residents who are flocking to purchase bottled water and related shelf-stable provisions, the impending Class 5 hurricane will be accompanied by life-threatening winds, storm surges and heavy rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. 

While there is much uncertainty regarding the exact path of the storm, Florida’s grocery stores have been inundated with customers for the past 48-hours, during which time lines have formed primarily for bottled water.

Retailers are working overtime to replenish supplies of water while limiting quantities to ensure availability for all. Maria Brouss, director of media and community relations for Publix Super Markets, was quoted in local media reports as saying that the chain continues to bottle water in its distribution centers and will continue to ship water to its stores until it's unsafe to do so.

Brouss said she is aware of photos of empty shelves being posted on social media, according to the Miami New Times. "There's a high end of sensitivity and awareness” of the fluctuating inventory which varies from store-to-store and minute-by-minute, according to Brouss

A spokesperson for Whole Foods Market North Atlantic and Florida Regions also said the company is hustling to restock water and non-perishables. "We are hard at work around the clock to keep our shelves stocked with all of the essentials to help our customers prepare for this storm. Availability of high-demand supplies is fluctuating throughout the day, but we have orders placed to continue to receive shipments to all of our stores as long as we can safely do so this week. We have well-established plans in place for events of this nature; however, team member safety will remain our top priority."

Winn-Dixie South Florida spokeswoman Mayra Hernandez said fleets of water, canned goods, batteries and other related supplies will be delivered to its stores throughout the day on Thursday. “Even though people might go to the store and not see anything, they will be restocking,” Hernandez was quoted as saying in mypalmbeachpost.com.  “There will be continual restocking throughout the day. There is no shortage right now,” added Hernandez, noting that Winn-Dixie drivers are making round-the-clock deliveries to keep shelves stocked.