Long lines as Georgians hit stores before winter storm

Checkout lines stretching down aisles. Empty coolers of eggs and dwindling shelves of bread. People circling for shopping carts and parking spots.

This is the scene at some metro Atlanta grocery stores as residents rush to gather food and other necessities for a potential winter storm this weekend, which threatens icy conditions and power outages.

Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for all 159 counties, telling people to get what they need to “hunker down” in case power is lost.

Deborah DeRyckere said she spent about an hour and a half at a Decatur-area grocery store Thursday trying to restock her home after extended time away during the holidays.

“It was really remarkable that I was able to get everything that I came for,” said DeRyckere, a Decatur resident. “There are a lot of things that are just bare.”

Some grocery stores are low on items including eggs, milk, bread and meats.

ExploreWinter storm prep: Must-have items for every household

“The lines with the cashiers are extremely long,” said April Hatcher, a Buckhead resident, adding it took her an hour to grocery shop Thursday and she had trouble finding a parking spot. “I heard a lot of customers say that more registers should have been opened.”

On her trip, Hatcher made sure to grab essentials like water and toilet paper.

“It’s better to be prepared than unprepared, and at the end of the day, things like toilet paper and water don’t expire, so just consider yourself ahead of your spring cleaning and shopping,” said Hatcher, who works as a baker and employee of Life Time fitness club.

Here are a few essential items to have on standby before a severe weather event occurs.

Hatcher said she noticed a variety of emotions among the crowd in the grocery store.

Some were amped up, she said, “Like ‘Hey, we’re in this together,’ cheering each other on and kind of laughing to make light of the situation. You have some people who are kind of frantic.” Others were in a poor mood, she said.

Two major grocers with stores dotted across metro Atlanta said this week they were preparing.

Kroger said Wednesday it has a plan in place to keep shelves stocked.

“There is no reason to ‘panic-buy,’” a Kroger spokesperson added. “We encourage customers to purchase only what they need.”

Publix said Wednesday it has stocked up on key items, such as water, canned goods and batteries.

“We have adjusted our production and truck delivery schedules for items we produce and manufacture like water and milk to reflect the demand,” a Publix spokesperson added Thursday. “Publix will continue to make round-the-clock product deliveries as long as it is safe to do so.”

Other retailers said they were monitoring the forecasts.

A Walmart spokesperson said the company has been preparing its stores “to help ensure our communities have access to essential items like blankets, batteries and other cold-weather necessities.” Walmart said it plans to operate its stores “as long as it is safe to do so.”

Credit: abcutrer@gmail.com

Credit: abcutrer@gmail.com

It was a calmer scene at Azalea Fresh Market in downtown Atlanta on Thursday. Most shelves were full, with only about a dozen shoppers perusing the aisles around 3 p.m.

Rene Mondy felt a little like she beat the system, opting for the urban market instead of a larger grocery store near her home. The adviser and counselor at Georgia State University grabbed items including water, bread, chips, cereal, peanut butter and jelly.

Credit: abcutrer@gmail.com

“It might be bad,” Mondy said of the predicted weather, “so I’m just trying to prepare best I can. These are the things my husband said we would need for the house.”

Greg Flewellen, a Georgia State senior who is studying exercise science, picked up paper towels, bananas, hot dogs, boneless chicken, cheese and condiments.

But Flewellen, who lives downtown, wasn’t too concerned.

“What’s the worst that can happen? No class?” he said.