Polk County residents make late runs for generators, gasoline as Hurricane Ian nears

Mike Melito accomplished his first goal Tuesday morning when he found a portable generator for sale at the Lowe’s store on Lakeland Highlands Road.

Melito also bought several bags of play sand to be used for making sandbags, and he worked to find room in the back of his vehicle for all the supplies in a parking lot crowded with shoppers preparing for Hurricane Ian.

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The store had been out of generators but received a shipment Tuesday morning, and Melito joined a long line of shoppers paying $899 plus tax for the Generac GP 6500 generator.

Melito, 62, manages the Lake Bentley Shores condominium complex in Lakeland, and he said he is already running pumps to remove water from around the building following recent rains. He acquired the generator Tuesday to ensure he could run those pumps in case the hurricane knocks out electrical service.

Having lived in the area for about 50 years, Melito has been through his share of hurricanes and tropical storms. He said he endured two days without power following Hurricane Irma in 2017. He said he was more worried about potential property damage than his own safety.

Melito said customers seemed polite inside the Lowe’s, but he sensed anxiety about the hurricane.

“It seems like they’re getting nervous,” he said. “The track shifted. Yesterday they were saying we were supposed to get 60 mile an hour (winds), and now they’re saying 80 miles an hour. So, yeah, people are a little more nervous.”

Jamel Broussard of Lake Wales wheeled a pair of the boxed Generac generators into the Lowe’s parking lot. He and a friend, David Baulac, each bought one.

Broussard, who works in Lakeland, said he expects the generator to provide enough power for one or two rooms of his home.

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“I’ve lived through a few of these things before,” said Broussard, 45. “The better you are prepared, the better off you are in the end.”

Terry Storie has also experienced plenty of storms during his 30 years in law enforcement, previously with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and now with the Auburndale Police Department. Storie, 57, expects to be on duty throughout the hurricane and its aftermath.

“I’ll probably sleep at the police station,” he said.

Storie said he bought the generator to replace another one that wasn’t working.

“I'm usually not having to run the store at the last minute for these things, but I tried to start that generator this morning and it wouldn’t start,” he said. “I'm like, ‘There goes another 800 bucks.’

… I’m only concerned about it powering the freezer. I mean, I can live with everything else, but you can’t let the food go bad.”

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The cab of Storie’s truck held several containers of gasoline. Storie said he bought 30 gallons and also had 90 in a boat engine that he could draw upon if necessary to run the generator.

John Bedell walked through the parking lot carrying a propane tank, a purchase he made to ensure that he’ll be able to cook on his grill in case he loses power. Bedell said he planned to go back and buy a generator if they weren’t all sold out.

Bedell said he grew up in South Dakota and had ample experience with tornados. He moved to Lakeland three years ago and hadn’t yet endured a hurricane in Florida, though he said his brother is a longtime resident.

“I got all my stuff inside,” Bedell said in describing his preparations. “I got my dog a collar with a light on it. I tried to drain some of my pool. I turned off the pumps to the pool and drained it below my intakes, so if there’s seven or eight inches of water it’s not going everywhere.”

Down the road at a Mobil 7-Eleven station, signs informed customers that the gas pumps were out of premium and mid-grade fuel. Gordon Cuthbertson was among the customers filling portable gas containers.

Cuthbertson loaded a plastic and a metal tank into the trunk of his vehicle. He said he had bought seven gallons and planned to return for another seven to help power a portable generator that he bought for Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Cuthbertson, 65, said his grown son was staying with him after evacuating from St. Petersburg. He said he was concerned about potential damage to rental properties he owns, having been forced to make a series of repairs after Irma.

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“The guys that have been here for a while know the routine,” Cuthbertson said. “I think we're pretty used to it. Looks like the bullet got a little closer, though, this morning. I was hoping and praying it was going in a different direction, but it looks like we're going to find ourselves in it.”

A few pumps over, Chris Fear filled a portable tank with gas for his generator. Fear, 75, said he had used the generator in previous storms going back to Hurricane Charley in 2004.

Asked if he was worried about the approaching hurricane, Fear quickly answered in the negative.

“No, God is my trust,” he said. “I don't worry. There can be times when you get a little anxious, but then I just trust the Lord.”

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Hurricane Ian: Polk residents make late runs for generators, gasoline