What hurricane?

It was late Monday afternoon and Debbie Wielgolinski wasn’t going to wait until the last minute to prepare for Hurricane Idalia. So it was off to the Publix on West Gulf to Lake Highway in Crystal River.

Her cart was loaded with what she considered essentials: water, milk, detergent, fresh and frozen food. Afterwards, she was going to go to a gas station and fill a gas container to fuel her generator. She was concerned what might happen should the worst happen.

“If the power goes out, I’m screwed,” she said. It wouldn’t only be the food in her freezer and refrigerator that might go bad or go to waste. “My husband is on oxygen.” He suffers from emphysema. Despite predictions, she was hoping against hope, that the hurricane’s intensity and path would not be so dire. “I really hope it blows over.”

It was 9-9:30 a.m., in what appeared to be a normal Tuesday morning, as people went about their business at both the Publix and the Winn-Dixie in Inverness. No one was filling shopping carts with excessive purchases of food, water, bread or other essentials, such as toilet paper. In fact, the shelves were stocked but customers were sparse. But one cashier, who would only give her first name, Deb, said that would soon change.

“It was crazy yesterday evening, and it’s soon going to go crazy around 10 a.m.,” she said. “In fact, it’s already starting.” As she spoke, people began streaming into the supermarket.

In the meantime, the Home Depot on U.S. 19 southbound was well prepared, as far as having sheets of plywood ready for purchase. However, what was in short supply were generators. There were only two remaining from what had been two pallets worth, and these were snapped up within minutes of each other.

It was the same situation at the Lowe’s Home Improvement in Inverness shortly past 9 a.m. Plywood was plentiful, but generators were at a premium. Approximately a dozen people were gathered inside. Some had been there from 6 a.m. All were waiting to purchase generators.

A few minutes later an employee with a clipboard approached. The news wasn’t good. It would be at least another four hours before the truck arrived. However, she told those gathered that while it is policy not to take names, an exception would be made, in part because those gathered had been patient. She explained that when the shipment arrived, they would be contacted. Each would have half an hour to get to the store to make their purchase. With that, she asked people to line up so that she could start the process.

Meanwhile, there were no lines at the various convenience store gas pumps up and down Gulf to Lake Highway. The common price for regular was $3.66 per gallon, although some stations had priced regular at $3.69 or $3.70 per gallon.

As of 10 a.m., very few homes or businesses in the area were seen as being or having been boarded up in anticipation of Hurricane Idalia.

You can contact Steve Steiner at [email protected].

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