Wait... what?

[Imogene]

It's insane what people in the area of my store have decided are 'essentials' thanks to the sleet/frozen rain two days ago, and the three inches of snow we're receiving right now...
Yesterday, sure, I can understand the store selling out of salt of all sorts... I can understand selling through our supply of firewood... but, I swear, the liquor section, what little I straightened of it before I headed home, was a DISASTER! Out, just, completely OUT, of more than half our selection...
And, we were selling frozen pizza left and right, too... I know that from observing sales... What really confused me was the number of people going, "Oh, yeah, I need a bag of ice, too..." 'Why?'

[Barefootgirl]

There is nothing, NOTHING I tell you, worse than running out of gin in the middle of a horrific storm and realising that you are stuck there getting progressively more sober until the weather clears.

And since when has frozen pizza not been a food essential?

[Betweenshades]

It shows how little imagination a lot of people have when entertaining themselves.

[barainga]

Booze and frozen pizzas... definitely on my list of top things to buy when the end is nigh.

[Barefootgirl]

I was quite serious, actually. It happened to me in Scotland once. How does liking a G&T or two mean I don't have any imagination?

[MelodiousBubbles]

Storm essentials in the North East:

Milk
Frozen Pizza
ICE CREAM


Without fail, the day before EVERY major storm we've had thus far, customers have come out in droves. Each. And. Every. One. Has had those three items in their carriage (that's IF they weren't the only items). It baffles me every time. The milk I can understand. The pizza... What will they do if they don't have power to cook it with? And the ice cream just makes me want to hit my head off the register. Seriously? Why do you need ice cream in the middle of a blizzard?

[Catwoman2965]

It always makes me laugh when everyone panics and RUNS to the grocery store, as if the world will end! i amy not have everything I want or need, but can usually make do with what I have for a day or so, as that's as long as it takes to get things cleared up so its possible to get out!

[Raveni]

The ice is for the alcohol, of course. You wouldn't want to put the crap outside in your liquor, would you?

Any kind of "natural disaster" means huge increases in the sales of alcohol and comfort food (they will find a way to eat that pizza). Because there really isn't anything else to do when you can't go outside, there is no power, etc... (well, I hear that pregnancy rates go up...)

[Mikkel]

You wouldn't want to put the crap outside in your liquor, would you?

You just have to watch where the huskies go and not eat that yellow snow .

[flyingember]

quick, what's the a common thing to happen because of snow and ice?

if you guessed, "the power goes out" then you're right!

buying a lot of perishable food right before a winter storm has never made sense to me. canned food does.

[Imogene]

if you guessed, "the power goes out" then you're right!

... state-wide rolling black outs the first morning of the ice...

[EvilEmpryss]

Storm essentials in the mid-North and in the south are milk and bread. Every storm warning, the milk and bread aisles are emptied.

Now the run on the alcohol may have a different explanation: The Super Bowl's this weekend, isn't it? One wouldn't want to wait too long to buy the essentials for the game, only to be snowed in at the last minute. Better to stock up now than delay and have to watch the game and all those commercials sober.

[Andara Bledin]

It is worth noting that the Super Bowl is on Sunday.

Since it's below freezing, ice will keep for days, right? As will the frozen pizzas. The booze can take care of itself since it's usually stored at room temperature.

^-.-^

[blas]

My bf's family wasn't well prepared for the blizzard we got back in December, so we just stuffed ourselves with Easy Mac and whatever fruits were around.

[Mycroft]

It's not that I don't want to put my Rye and Coke outside to cool - because it will take just as long as if I put an ice cube in it - it's that I don't want to go outside to get it, because I will cool off just as fast as the rye.