Why do people load up on perishable food before st... - Page 4

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

I don't get all the smarty pants attitudes toward people who stock up. You never know what might happen. You might be stuck for days. No, not everyone in the world is stocked up for days at home, believe it or not. Some work, some have been sick and are putting it off, some just got back in town from being away, some just feel a little scared.

A few years ago, we were forecast for a few inches and got 15 and were stuck for days with no power. So, those who were stocked up looked like the smart ones.

Toilet paper, of course, you might be in longer than you thought--better safe than sorry. Milk? Yeah, it's easy to eat cereal. Bread and lunch meat sure. Sandwiches. I've several times cooked a pot of beans in the fireplace or on the gas cooktop, kept food cold in the garage (didn't want to open the freezer because I wanted it to last for several days in there), and huddled without power for several days wrapped up by the fireplace. Eat? SURE you eat. You are cold and tired and miserable, and need the calories to deal with being cold. Plus, you are bored to death.

So go stock up! You might be sorry if you dont; no harm if you do!

AngusandBuddhasMom · ‎03-10-2010

@Sooner wrote:
I don't get all the smarty pants attitudes toward people who stock up. You never know what might happen. You might be stuck for days. No, not everyone in the world is stocked up for days at home, believe it or not. Some work, some have been sick and are putting it off, some just got back in town from being away, some just feel a little scared.

A few years ago, we were forecast for a few inches and got 15 and were stuck for days with no power. So, those who were stocked up looked like the smart ones.

Toilet paper, of course, you might be in longer than you thought--better safe than sorry. Milk? Yeah, it's easy to eat cereal. Bread and lunch meat sure. Sandwiches. I've several times cooked a pot of beans in the fireplace or on the gas cooktop, kept food cold in the garage (didn't want to open the freezer because I wanted it to last for several days in there), and huddled without power for several days wrapped up by the fireplace. Eat? SURE you eat. You are cold and tired and miserable, and need the calories to deal with being cold. Plus, you are bored to death.

So go stock up! You might be sorry if you dont; no harm if you do!

Exactly.

shoptilyadropagain · ‎03-19-2014

I always "assummed" people did it because roads and driveways might be unavailable for a few/several days after the storm arrives. I never even thought about power outages but that would be silly for those that are all electric anyway.

I think many years ago most areas didn't get the roads cleared off as quickly as they do today....at least that's the situation where I live. I imagine many of those people remember those days and don't want to be caught without the basics.

I don't stock up if a storm is coming but I've been at the grocery store stocking up on a few items that I was running low on right before a storm. I always run into somebody I know and will get asked if I'm preparing for the storm. Ummmm, NO, I just needed these items for my pantry and a storm just happens to be coming.

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
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jaxs mom · ‎04-18-2012

I'm in a dinky town and we had 3rd highest snowfall on record last month, right after Christmas. We didn't leave the house for a week, they didn't pick up the trash for 3 weeks. Even when we did get out and drive into the city, roads were horrible and many stranded cars were still abandoned and lots of businesses were still closed. I friend joked that you know it's bad when even church is cancelled lol.

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval

ChynnaBlue · ‎05-22-2012

You don't always lose power in a storm, but you could get snowed in or the city could shut down. Here in Austin, we don't get snow but we do get ice. The ice won't usually knock out power, but it will slick the roads so they are unsafe. When that happens, the city basically shuts down and calls go out on the news for all non-essential personnel to stay home to avoid car accidents. Because it doesn't happen often, the city isn't equipped to handle big ice storms or ice storms that last for days. You could be stuck at home for 24-72 hours and have all the power you want, but no way to drive anywhere to restock, especially if you have a steep driveway or need to drive over an icy bridge to get to a store.

We also get floods, where your driveway or road could be flooded or have rapidly moving water that you are unable to cross for 24 hours. Loads of electricity, but you can't get out, so you may as well stay home and cook up some bacon and eggs.

A lot of the people I know who live in areas where snow or ice DO take the power out have backup generators in place and can go for a while.

We have a lot of big storms that make it dangerous to leave the house because of rain, but I've never had my power out for more than a few hours. As long as the power outage is under 4 hours, everything in the fridge is still safe and anything in a freezer is safe for much longer: http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/power_outages.html

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bonnielu · ‎03-11-2010

Gives us a sense of safety. And when it is cold cold cold I can put the stuff outside and it lasts.

I am one who went out and got milk and I don't even drink it. That goes for bread, I don't eat that either. I guess now I feel safe just in case I might want some.

croemer · ‎03-10-2010

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muttmom · ‎11-28-2012

I do not drink milk or eat eggs and bread in good weather. I'm not going to drink or eat them in bad weather.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

Like many have already said, anything in the fridge can be put in boxes or a cooler and placed in the garage ... no spoilage.

When the storms are coming, I think many people feel more secure when stocking up on food .... they probably already have a stash of non-perishables.

It takes time for the snow plows to get around to everyone and clear the roads, so this is how people prepare to hunker down and wait until the storm passes.