No water at Walgreen's

No lightbulbs at Loews

Out of batteries, too

Dasani Deliverance

With many New Orleanians opting to shelter in place and ride out what could become Hurricane Isaac, residents ran out over the past two days to plan for the worst, horde provisions and, in many cases, turn our homes into fortified barrooms.

Shelves that carried hurricane supplies at spots like the Rouses in Mid-City and the Loews on Elysian Fields Avenue were immediately recognizable for their bareness. Anxious hoards stood in checkout lines rolling carts full of boards for their windows, cases of water and Gatorade, and batteries in case of power outages. People all over the city waited for hours in pharmacy lines, rushed to find the last remaining water bottles in the city. And, to provide libations for hurricane parties, alcohol was a fixture of most carts.

Whether you’re drinking the storm away or not, there’s only a couple of hours left to scrounge up basic needs. At Loews on Elysian Fields, and we wish you luck finding last minute bottled water, batteries, generators, or flashlights. People are definitely preparing, but just as the forecast was upgraded to Isaac making landfall as a Category 2, the majority of shoppers seemed pretty lax about a Cat 1.  

Loews employee Ariaun Fore said hurricane supplies are flying off with shelves, with the store fresh out of generators, tarps, and flashlights. However, Fore said the  customers she’s helped have had a nonchalant attitude towards Isaac.

“I work in the paint section, and people are still coming to get paint. They don’t care,” Fore laughed.

Fore’s Gentilly residence is not raised, and she said she is leaving due to threats of flooding.

“I will be leaving, I might go to Baton Rouge just to get a hotel," she said. "If my house wasn’t directly on the ground, I would stay here. I would not leave and waste money." 

Their house on higher ground, Marigny residents Julia and Thomas were buying some plywood to board up their windows, but they’re more concerned about party supplies than safety measures.

“I think we’re wasting our time,” Julia said.  “We have a friend staying with us who’s bringing all the alcohol,” Thomas included.  

Upper Ninth Ward residents Timothy Mitchell and Kevin Smothers appeared to be in hurricane mode, but they were just shopping for work supplies. The two New Orleans natives aren’t fretting over a baby hurricane.

The pair  said they won’t be indulging for the storm, as they’d prefer to stay alert. “I don’t go that route,” Smother said. “to me that’s a waste of time, a hurricane party. You don’t know how it’s going to turn out, a tree could fall. It might not be that devastating, but anything could happen,” Smothers said. 

Not everyone was out stocking up. Bill from Lakeview wasn’t at Loews for storm supplies exactly; he’ll be using his time indoors to finish some unfinished artwork. “I’m trying to finish two paintings. I live in Lakeview near West End,” Bill said. “I needed butane, bought this roller because it looks like it’ll be easy to put the primer down. I needed trash bags. The only thing they didn’t have was Clorox and batteries,” Bill said.

For residents of the city’s lowest lying areas, hurricanes are anything but a time to party. Shopper Wanda Simmons is staying, and she hopes Isaac keeps the flooding to a minimum. “All my family and friends are here, I have absolutely nowhere to go. Unless you’ve made [hotel] reservations, you’re in trouble,” Simmons said.

The Gentilly resident stayed for Katrina, only leaving her home once the floodwaters began to threaten her survival. “I’m a little afraid, but I feel better staying," she said.

At Rouses in Mid-City, charcoal and batteries were running in just as short of supply as parking lots. Most carts were stacked with water and wine. Bottled water required particular persistence from shoppers. Shelves were empty at two spots where it is usually stored toward the front of the store. But that mixed feeling of anxiety and dread that often accompanies a prolonged search for what is often known as an essential, life-sustaining substance was quickly put down for those who ventured all the way to the back of the store. In the furthest corner from the entrance, a full three pallets of Dasani were stocked.

Just in front of the display, in the vicinity of the bread, a group of five women gathered in a circle to pray. After about thirty seconds of asking for safety from the storm - or perhaps even salvation - they all said Amen, and talked about how people were missing something amid all the preparations.

"This is what we need to be doing," one woman said.