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Residents in no apparent hurry to stock up
Published July 15, 2003
Grocery stores in the area stocked up on water, canned foods and batteries as soon as they heard Tropical Storm Claudette was headed in this direction.
The Kroger in Angleton, which ran out of supplies before Tropical Storm Fay, doubled the amount of supplies it had on hand this time. But customer traffic at the Randall’s in Lake Jackson and the Kroger stores in Freeport and Angleton stayed relatively light.
Charles Prestage, manager of the Kroger in Freeport, was surprised so few people were shopping for provisions.
“It’s been like this all day,” he said. “They just wait until the last minute.”
Only the Kroger in Clute had an above average number of customers.
“This is just because of the storm,” said Betty Solis, a floor supervisor. “Rain brings people in. On a holiday we don’t get this backed up.”
During Tropical Storm Fay, Jessica Matusek of Jones Creek lost electricity for several hours and had water nearly in her home. This time, she bought nine gallons of water, canned foods and sandwich materials for her family and for a neighbor in preparation for the storm.
“I talked to my dad, and he said that he wasn’t even scared,” Matusek said.
Shiloh Neilson also stocked up on food for her family at Kroger in Freeport.
“I’m just buying some noodles, sausage and hot dogs,” she said. “We’ll make a big pot of stew tonight to eat later.”
Although customers did not head in droves to the grocery stores, they did go to the hardware store to stock up on sandbags, hurricane clips, duct tape, generators and cinder blocks.
“It’s been very hectic as far as people buying things in preparation,” said Russ Amatt, operations manager at Lowe’s in Lake Jackson.
In expectation of the heavy rains set to begin this afternoon, Dow Chemical Co. and BASF have already instructed non-essential personnel not to come to work today.
“Based on the data we have and per our rough weather plan, we will continue to run through the storm, but as a precaution are instructing those employees not essential to plant operations not to come to work,” said Dave Winder, a Dow spokesman.
Sharon Rogers, a BASF spokeswoman, said the company wanted to allow some of its employees to evacuate, if they choose to do so, while the roads are safe.
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