Shoppers were ready for storm

Some people around Morgan City made last-minute trips to the store to get essential supplies in anticipation of the projected winter storm while others made their preparations over the weekend.
Brian Giroir, Tiger Island Hardware store manager, said the store saw a rush on pipe insulation, firewood, propane, heaters and faucet covers. “We brought a lot more stock in to prepare. And we’re basically almost empty at this point,” Giroir said Tuesday morning.
Tiger Island Hardware saw the biggest rush of people buying supplies Monday, Giroir said. Giroir planned for the store to stay open until the bridges started closing, he said.
Bob Tindell of Amelia bought an adaptor for a generator in case the power went out. Tindell also bought gas in preparation for the storm. “This stuff don’t bother me. I’m a truck driver,” Tindell, who has been driving trucks for more than 39 years, said. Tindell had already bought all the groceries he needed to be prepared for whatever might happen, he said. “If I have to go out in it, I’ll go out in it because I’m used to it.”
Bob Roberts of Brookhaven, Miss., was staying at the Holiday Inn in Morgan City while working for Oceaneering. He went to Tiger Island Hardware looking for a tarp or something to block the wind and kerosene to power a heater, Roberts said.
Roberts talked to his family in Brookhaven, Miss, Tuesday morning, and the city already had ice and snow. “I can’t go home so I might as well try to do the best I can,” Roberts said.
Trisha Grogan of Morgan City bought ingredients to make gumbo at Cannata’s Family Market in Morgan City. Grogan’s grocery list also included water, sodas and meat.
Jasmine Kelly, Walgreens store manager in Morgan City, said the store had a rush of people coming to get drinks, bread, water and milk prior to the winter storm. As of Tuesday morning, Walgreens had sold out of milk, and Kelly expected more people to come in as more stores began to close Tuesday, Kelly said.
“We’ve been getting calls asking if we have heaters. We’ve been running out,” Kelly said. The pharmacy was also busy as people were buying allergy medicines and other medicines before the store closed. Kelly was just waiting on the call to let store personnel know when to shut down, she said. Normally, the store stays open 24 hours except during hurricanes and this time a winter storm, Kelly said.
Nick Orlando of Berwick and his son, Luke, 11, went to Walgreens to buy playing cards. “We’re getting some playing cards so he can do some magic tricks,” Nick Orlando said. “Everybody’s off, of course, and we’re watching movies and cooking and lighting a fire,” he said.
Orlando had trouble finding firewood but bought four logs at Stazione’s Deli-Market in Morgan City which was all the firewood the store had, he said.
“Other than that, we’re just going to stay off the roads,” Orlando said. Orlando was hoping to be able get to his workplace in New Iberia this afternoon, he said.
Cody Blanco of Patterson, who was also at Walgreens, said he stocked up Saturday on supplies and was “just waiting on the snow to come and play with my little girl.”