Hurricane Ian strengthens; Possible impacts it could have on Miami Valley wallets

With Hurricane Ian gaining strength, its impact could be felt on wallets here in the Miami Valley.

Preparations are underway in Florida as the hurricane gets ready to make landfall.

Dave Bennallack, former news director at WHIO is now retired and lives in Orlando.

He shared pictures showing gas stations that are out of gas ahead of the storm.

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“We’re in an area where I-75 and the Florida Turnpike come together a few miles away. So a lot of what happens is as people start to evacuate from Florida, this is a convenient place to get off and look for gas,” Bennallack said.

AAA Public Affairs Manager Kara Hitchens shared how refineries in the path of Ian shutting down could affect prices at the pump here.

“There’s a real possibility they could impact gas prices,” Hitchens said.

News Center 7′s John Bedell also spoke with Dot’s Market in Kettering to about potential impacts on grocery stores.

“Even if it’s not near Dayton, Ohio we still feel the impacts. A lot of times our warehouse and our resources will send their resources to the affected area,” Nick Moshos, Dot’s Market owner said.

Moshos said if there’s one product supply that gets impacted most by natural disasters, it’s produce.

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Back in Orlando, Bennallack and millions of other Floridians are getting ready for the impact.

“What the emergency management tells us here in this area is you’re safer in your home than you would be evacuating and got on the roads. Leave that for the people who are really in the most severe path,” he said.

News Center 7 has reached out to Kroger and Meijer for information about protentional supply chain interruptions from the Hurricane.

A Meijer spokesperson said they have not received any information from their supply chain team yet.

A Kroger spokesperson has yet to respond.