Ulog 169: Snow Flies... Store Shelves Empty Out

The other day after my doctor's appointment, I had to stop at the a pharmacy to pick up a prescription and while there I walked around to purchase a few grocery items I needed on the homestead.

As I strolled down the bread aisle, I took notice to the empty shelves. At the time I was there it was almost lunch time (not first thing in the morning) and the bread shelves were pretty bare. Luckily I didn't need any bread.

But I also noticed the bottled water area in the store was slim pickings too.

Seeing some food shortages may bring to mind that economist, fear-mongering websites and a plethora of others view this as a nationwide epidemic due to the flooding in the US's Midwest region as well as trade tariffs with countries abroad.

But in reality this is specific to my area in Michigan; and perhaps other Midwest states. Late Sunday evening the National Weather Service issued various winter weather alerts, advisories and warnings as winter's wrath came barreling down on us.

But this got me thinking...

With the natural disasters (hurricanes, wild fires) happening and people being so unprepared, what would happen to the people rushing to a store to stock-up on pantry items if a nationwide catastrophe occurred?

While I don't know how accurate the number is, I have always heard that most people only have enough food and water in their pantry to go three to seven days without a trip to the store for more. Have you always heard that too?

Could You Survive More Than A Week?

I remember back in 2007, when I lived more rural a blizzard came in and we were snow bound on my little 5-acres for four days before a county snow truck and plow came to remove the snow allowing us to go to town.

Luckily I have always been a preparer, had a full pantry, two freezers full and enough toilet paper to outlast the entire winter season.

But what about the people who didn't?

Unless you were almost completely self-reliant and self-sufficient, you would eventually run out of food, supplies and water. Most people make trips to their local grocery store two to three times per week. I go maybe once a week. I am by no means self-reliant or self- sufficient, but I do have a pantry of non-perishables to last for a few months (minimum), bottled water for our household for about a month and the ways and means of making fulfilling meals that I don't panic too much.

But after seeing the grocery store's shelves bare, I am on a determined mission to add more to my pantry. Whether more bottled water, more canned or dry goods and even, yes, more toilet paper.

My parents always taught me to be prepared; and with winter here, now is the time to put that teaching into full force. Granted, I should have been doing this all along, but the last few months I have been too pre-occupied for my own good.

But that is changing... effective today.

I have an order coming to the homestead with extra TP, more gallons of bottled spring water and some extras that I saw my pantry was lacking.

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