Area grocery store shelves emptied as residents prepare for Hurricane Ida

Published 5:12 pm Sunday, August 29, 2021

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As Hurricane Ida moves inland, residents of the Miss-Lou are preparing for the hurricane. People’s preparations are coming down to the wire as they look for groceries and ways to keep their generator running.

Natchez resident Jen Brice walked out of Stine in Natchez empty handed Sunday afternoon. She was looking for storage containers for gasoline, she said.

“I’ve had a hard time finding them,” Brice said. “We have generators now and we are trying to get gas containers to get it running. It’s not about if we lose power. It’s when.”

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Not a single loaf of bread could be found at the Natchez Market 1 and 2 and Cash Saver. Natchez Market 2 on US-84 had signs on the bread shelves saying they wouldn’t be stocked until Tuesday.

Employees in the meat department cleaned the bottoms of empty chest coolers at the Natchez Markets.

Cash Saver employees had other ideas to prevent product loss. They placed tarps over freezers and topped them with watermelon and soda boxes to hold them in place. An employee said their hope in doing this is to keep the meat and produce cold in the event they lose power.

Port Gibson resident Kaesha White said she had no trouble finding what she needed from the Walmart on U.S. 61 in Natchez. White said she always comes to Natchez for her groceries and had a case of water and other groceries in her cart.

“I try to find water because you need water,” White said. “How are you going to stay hydrated by drinking pop? … I try to have two cases of water on hand.”