Queens residents were out in force — and forced out — in preparation for the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene.
Despite the fact that the storm was downgraded to a Category 1, torrential downpours, fierce winds of 75 mph and power outages are still a legitimate threat asthe city enforced its first-ever evacuation order.
An employee of the Home Depot in Ozone Park told The Courier that they were pretty much sold out of sandbags, flashlights, batteries and other items.
"You wouldn’t believe it," she said, noting that two emergency deliveries were gone fast. "It goes quickly. Our whole battery rack is sold out."
The employee also noted that several of her collegaues were unable to get to work because of the MTA shut down.
"People didn’t come to work — a lot of them come with buses and subways, so others had to work extra shifts."
Mobs of people were stocking up on food at the Waldbaum’s in Bay Terrace Mall, too, in the event that they are unable, or unwilling, to leave their homes.
“I’m just worried about losing power and not being able to get the essential supplies I need like water and milk, which they are out of in Waldbaum’s right now,” said Kelly Jampol, who visited the supermarket on August 26. “It’s a madhouse in the market right now. You can’t go down the aisles, there are no carts and there are lines everywhere. It’s like the end of the world is coming.”
Other shoppers participating in the food frenzy were concerned about being trapped well beyond the weekend.
“I am nervous that we will get hit hard,” said Key Park, a Bayside resident who went shopping with her 13-month-old son. “I am trying to get prepared, and get my son plenty of milk and food that we can survive on for about a week if we can’t get out of the house. I also bought a lot of water, bread, canned foods and pasta.”
Rene Abad, the manager of Parker Hardware, located at 41-25 Bell Boulevard in Bayside, said there has been a significant increase in traffic recently, with customers mainly purchasing flashlights, batteries, masking tape and tarps. The hardware store sold out of D and C cell batteries and LED flashlights in two days.
“I’m just preparing because the hurricane is coming,” said Uriel Palmer, a resident of Flushing and patron of Parker Hardware. “I’m from the Caribbean so I have been in a hurricane and I’ve seen what they can do. I’m going to buy a water pump in case there is flooding, and flashlights and batteries.”
The New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) recommends every household to compile a Go Bag – a set of items that may be needed during an evacuation. Go Bags should be sturdy and dependable container, and they should be easily accessible at all times.
According to OEM, each Go Bag should contain:
• Copies of your important documents in a waterproof and portable container (insurance cards, photo IDs, proof of address, etc.)
• Extra set of car and house keys
• Credit and ATM cards and cash, especially in small denominations. We recommend you keep at least $50-$100 on hand.
• Bottled water and non-perishable food such as energy or granola bars
• Flashlight
Note: Traditional flashlight bulbs have limited lifespans. Light Emitting Diode (LED) flashlights, however, are more durable and last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs.
• Battery-operated AM/FM radio and extra batteries
• Keep a list of the medications each member of your household takes, why they take them, and their dosages. Medication information and other essential personal items. If you store extra medication in your Go Bag, be sure to refill it before it expires.
• First-aid kit
• Contact and meeting place information for your household, and a small regional map
• Child care supplies or other special care items
