Is it too late to get water, bread and other groceries before Hurricane Irma hits?
As Hurricane Irma continues on a path that could threaten South Carolina, we’re answering some common questions about the storm and South Carolina’s response. Do you have a question about the storm or have information that you believe is important to share? Please write to online@thestate.com.
Is it too late to get water, bread and other groceries before Hurricane Irma hits?
No, it’s not too late. But you’ll probably find a lot of bare shelves, and you might very well be caught in some long lines.
“Of course, water and bread are very scarce,” said Darrell Miller, owner of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store on Devine Street in Columbia. “We have been able to get some in, but it goes out very quickly.”
The store is “basically out of water at this point” and has “just a little bread,” he said. But more shipments are on the way.
The Pig expects more bread to come in Friday morning, “but we don’t expect it to last very long,” Miller said.
It will probably be Saturday morning before another big shipment of water comes in for the store, he said.
Kimberly Reynolds, spokeswoman for Publix grocery stores, said Thursday afternoon that “in general, our stores in the area are in good shape.”
“We do have bread and other hurricane items on shelves available now,” Reynolds said.
Water, she said, is the No. 1 item customers are buying, and “quantities will vary by store.”
Supply trucks are arriving daily, and shelves are being restocked as soon as they arrive, Reynolds said.
Even if bread and water are in short supply, customers should largely be able to take care of their grocery needs ahead of the storm, although they might have to make some substitutions, Piggly Wiggly’s Miller said.
His best advice: Shop by phone. Call stores before you start driving around and ask what they’ve got in stock.
“If you let us know you’re coming, we’ll lay you a couple cases (of water) back,” Miller said.
This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Is it too late to get water, bread and other groceries before Hurricane Irma hits?."