What's going on with storm supplies in Southwest Florida? Here's what we are seeing, hearing

Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press
·4 min read
11

Note to readers: What are you seeing at stores and gas stations? Share your storm supply challenges and observations to Mark Bickel at mbickel@gannett.com. Or use the comments button at the top of the story.

Now that there is a forecast cone for an impending-not-named-yet hurricane, Southwest Floridians are in wait and watch mode.

It was still too early to make any bold predictions on Friday, but it wasn't too early for people to start thinking ahead and preparing. That means there is an official run on supplies, most notably water and gas.

Here is what we are finding out from our team and from social media posts. We will be providing rolling updates as we get new reports in from our team and from residents posting to social media:

Models, path: Tropical Depression Nine: See spaghetti models, path and storm activity for Florida

BE PREPARED: Did you know? What is a hurricane watch and when to put up shutters

What our journalists are seeing:

FORT MYERS AREA

Live News Team reporter Tomas Rodrigues reports:

Patrons began to line up at 3 p.m. for gas and supplies at the RaceTrac gas station in the 16300 block of Lee Road in Fort Myers Friday.

A customer who didn’t identify himself said he had grabbed six gallon bottles of water, and added the were basically none left on the shelf.

A similar scene transpired at the 7-Eleven across the street.

Ashlynn Trombley, a longtime Estero resident, said she’s used to hurricanes, but feels people who recently moved to the area don’t know how to react.

The gas pumps at this Fort Myers 7-11 were busy on Friday afternoon, Sept. 23, 2022 as motorists filled up their tanks ahead of the possibility of a hurricane hitting Southwest Florid.
The gas pumps at this Fort Myers 7-11 were busy on Friday afternoon, Sept. 23, 2022 as motorists filled up their tanks ahead of the possibility of a hurricane hitting Southwest Florid.

“It gets a little crazy and stuff like that, but otherwise just another day,” Trombley said. “I’m only getting gas because I need it, not because I want it filled.”

Friday's tropical watch: Tropical Depression Nine may hit Florida's west coast as major hurricane

Florida Hurricane Guide: Everything you need to know about preparing for a hurricane or tropical storm in our resource guide

Trombley cautioned locals to stay calm until the hurricane’s path becomes certain, like Hurricane Charley in 2004 did.

“Charley wasn’t hitting us and all of the sudden it turned in and hit us,” Trombley said. “You just never know until it’s 24 or 48 hours before.”

Cristina Sanchez, who lives in Estero, was among those shopping at the Publix in the 19100 block of South Tamiami Trail.

Cristina and her toddler son walked into the store with a fill able 5-gallon bottle.

The shelves holding water at this Walmart Neighborhood in Market in Northeast Cape Coral are almost emptying. There is a run on supplies with a hurricane in the forecast for Southwest Florida next week.
The shelves holding water at this Walmart Neighborhood in Market in Northeast Cape Coral are almost emptying. There is a run on supplies with a hurricane in the forecast for Southwest Florida next week.

“I already lived through Irma,” Sanchez said in Spanish. “Hurricane Irma affected us a lot when it happened. We’re afraid of a repeat. Everything will be alright. God will protect us.”

CAPE CORAL

Cape Coral reporter Luis Zambrano said the the shelves where the water is kept at a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Northeast Cape were almost empty. He also said he went to a target on Pine Island Road in Northwest Cape Coral, and they ran out of water bottles around 1 p.m.. An employee told him that they had five pallets of bottled water but were down to one in the morning.

What social media is saying:

CAPE CORAL RESIDENTS GROUP

  • "Just left B.J.'s 20 minutes ago. Line are long even at the gas station. I did see them putting out pallets of water." — Jason Jimenez

  • "There was a line at every gas station I just passed. Definitely not going to any stores today." — Deanna Walker

  • "No water at Sam's and long gas lines." — William Winning

A line of cars formed at the Circle K near Industrial Park in Cape Coral today, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, as people prepared for a possible hurricane next week.
A line of cars formed at the Circle K near Industrial Park in Cape Coral today, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, as people prepared for a possible hurricane next week.

More: Hurricane Irma 5th anniversary: Five unforgettable photo galleries

More: Hurricane Irma 5th anniversary: Five unforgettable videos of the Category 3 storm

I LOVE FORT MYERS BEACH

  • "It's just Rain-wit-a-name until Waffle House closes." — Mikey Fletcher

  • "I was just at Publix on the island and water was running low, but not much else." — Karen Enock Damico

More: Explaining hurricane terminology: watches, warnings, surge

CAPE CORAL FORUM

  • "Oh boy, the panic buying has started. Chill out people!." — Shawn Lane

  • "Too far out to worry. Relax." — Angie Cox

  • "Can we just go back to wind chimes posts?"— Joe Miceli

GROWING CAPE CORAL

  • "Walmart busy. I overheard an employee telling co-worker that when he loaded a pallet of water on the shelves and return with another, the shelves would already be emptied. Gas station was very busy, but no line out to the road." — Deb Elliott

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Hurricane supplies: Water and gas already in demand in Florida