Panic buying has hit western Upper Michigan

[Kaleva]

The Walmart in Houghton was wiped out of TP.

People are posting on Facebook what local stores in the area have TP.

I overheard a lady behind me in a store checkout early this morning say to another that she hasn't been able to find hand sanitizer anywhere in the county.

My son-in-law and eldest stepson told me the Walmart s in Houghton and Marquette are madhouses with many items out of stock and long lines at checkouts.

[leftieNanner]

1. My daughter in NYC

Just reported that there was a very long line to get into Trader Joe's and the entire pasta section was sold out. NYC may be closed soon. Fortunately, she works remotely, so her job is secure.

I'm in Southern Oregon. We have only heard about a few cases in our county, so stores are pretty normal. I picked up a few things this morning, but haven't ventured near Costco!

Good luck on the TP.

[elleng]

26. My NJ daughter said the same, that is, 'no food!'

I'd just been to grocery (in MD,) and am OK, EVEN got 3 rolls of TP, but I don't have kids to feed, did that 30 years ago, so hope her (and your daughter's) TJ's resolve their supply chain issues.

[louis-t]

2. I gradually bought 3-4 weeks of groceries

over the last 2 weeks. Never had a problem. I was determined to NOT get stuck in the mess of panic buying.

[Leghorn21]

3. Same, louis - it's stressful enough to deal with our new reality, why go through a fist fight in the

toilet paper aisle as well?

best wishes to all, though

[Kaleva]

4. I was already well stocked last year

But have been fine tuning the stock beginning in January.

[louis-t]

5. It was before our state had any confirmed cases, but I knew

it could change any minute.

[Kaleva]

8. I figured there was no harm in taking steps to prepare

However, the harm could be very great if I did nothing and things got really bad.

So, I began a regimen of disinfecting high touch items in the home every morning.

I keep hand sanitizer in the car which I use when I'm out and about doing errands.

I installed a much more efficient air filter and a UV light in the return duct.

I wash towels, underwear, socks, kitchen hand towels, bathroom hand towels, dish cloths, toddler clothes and bibs, bed sheets and pillow cases on the sanitize setting and dry them on the dryer sanitize setting.

I change hand towels and dishcloths daily with clean ones.

[NutmegYankee]

6. It started today in SE Conn.

Many photos on local Facebook groups of empty shelves in local stores.

[blueinredohio]

7. We normally go to Costco or Sam's and get bigger packages of t.p. and paper towels.

I have a freezer full of food, frozen veggies and canned stuff. So if we have to we could hole up for awhile.

[CentralMass]

9. My brother went to school in Houghton, Michigan Tech, about 40 years ago.

It is hard for me to imagine there being a Walmart there but things have obviously changed a lot. As long as the they don't run out of pasties.

[Kaleva]

10. Pasties are comfort food for me. Along with pickled herring and squeaky cheese.

[CentralMass]

35. Ah, great stuff.

[Alex4Martinez]

11. Having a congestive flu does not require a lot of TP.

What is this panic over toilet paper? And water?

Hand sanitizer makes a little bit of sense but not TP.

[XRubicon]

12. I don't get it either

If you are well enough to sit on the toilet you can jump in the shower for a minute or two.


If you aren't well enough to sit on the toilet, toilet paper won't really help much.

[A HERETIC I AM]

13. Also, if you aren't buying the requisite amount of food....

What the ever living fuck would you need it all for?

I’d need way more than $500 worth of groceries to require 10 rolls of TP!

[GemDigger]

16. I just ran into a woman at the store and her cart was overflowing with

TP and zero food. I asked her if she was going to have pb and tp sandwiches to keep her alive. She gave me a dirty look and I just shook my head.

[A HERETIC I AM]

23. LMAO!

There was a great line from a comedian some years back, who said;

“When I am at the grocery checkout, I ask the cashier this very pertinent judgment question;

Is this enough toilet paper for all this food?”

[Brother Buzz]

17. You sure about that? People are twitchy and on edge...

Every time someone coughs, a hundred people shit.

[2golddogs]

20. Lol

Nice work here👍🏼

[smirkymonkey]

19. I just placed a usual grocery order, which include TP and they have nothing.

Not any TP in any amount whatsoever. Nothing. It's crazy. I still have some backup and tissues/paper towels, but I guess if things get serious I will just have to rinse off in the tub. It makes me kind of angry that people are hoarding supplies like this. It's not right.

[Tech]

14. Husband stopped for a few groceries, first time no tp. We are in northern WI,

they make to here. Oh oh.

We have plenty, he just happened to be in the aisle.

[Kingofalldems]

15. Tried to buy sanitizer online---and nothing.

[dmr]

18. In Traverse City's Costco's, they limited one pack of toilet paper per customer

A friend of mine called this afternoon complaining that Costco was a madhouse. She said the store was nuts! Worse than Christmas. They had an employee standing guard, or rather handing out one toilet paper pack to a customer.

My neighbor went toilet paper shopping today because her boyfriend who lives down in Flushing couldn't find any in the stores. He works in Lansing and couldn't find a roll there, either. He went to Walmart, Meijers, and a couple others. My neighbor bought the last 3 packs at Walgreens.

Nobody can find hand sanitizer anymore. I gave a bottle to my neighbor.

Our house is very well stocked. We started stocking in early February. I'm glad we did.

[Kaleva]

24. Those who prepare don't end up running around in a panic.

Trying to find something as basic as toilet paper.

[mnhtnbb]

21. It's surprising how much TP you can go through

when you're home all day every day for weeks at a time.

I'm retired so I'm used to being home a lot and I live alone.

I can go through a couple of rolls in a week if I'm home a lot routinely. Multiply that times two adults and several kids home all day every day for several weeks and you begin to understand why some people are panic buying several packages of TP.

[Kaleva]

22. One of the reasons I put bidets in two of the bathrooms.

They really do reduce the amount of TP used.

[roamer65]

25. Too bad this virus wouldn't get stupid people.

God knows there is an over abundance of them.

[luvs2sing]

27. In Columbus..

two Kroger stores in my area completely out of TP, cleaning products, produce and meat. Checkout lines stretching to the back of the stores. Target actually had a better selection of frozen and nonperishables, but no TP or cleaning products.

Luckily, it’s just hubster and me, and a 12-pack of TP lasts us almost eight weeks. We just bought a new one two weeks ago but still have a couple rolls of the old left. I think we’re set.

[samnsara]

28. y'know..I am the LAST person on Earth to 'panic buy'. I visited friends in RI..

..a day before Hurricane Sandy and I jokingly brought batteries. Well..the town we were in (Green) didnt even have high wind. I chased storms for 10 years and the week i chose EVERY WEEK had perfect weather...I figured I was a curse to storm chasers and ...in fact...people refused to go on the tour the same week we did

BUT....BUT....This is different. I am starting to feel that... well.... MAYBE ....I should start to stock up on paper products.

We have done the 'What if there's a zombie apocalypse?' scenario a lot..just for fun. I live on 5 forested acres. Lots of deer...and quail. I also have a 'trout pond' which is probably full of frogs.. (no).. I have a stream, and we have 3 freezers cuz we are food hoarders I have my own well. I will cook all the food in my freezer and re freeze, and we load bullets ( OH cuz at this point I may be happy for the Glocks)

So we go to Costco-just for normal stock up...but in the back of my mind I'm thinking; should I buy the maximum limited amount of tp and etc? But in the end we just by the one pack we need...in case someone with a big family really needs it.

THEN I was thinking ( after a bit of wine)..HOW can we help our neighbors? I get my news from Seattle and its updated all the time about the virus. They said to think how you can help your neighbor. Do they need child care? or some other daily chore that they can no longer do? So Far my friends and family are self sufficient...wonder how we can volunteer?


stay safe every one...

[Kaleva]

30. A concern I do have is the young grandchildren

Next door neighbors also have young kids.

[gibraltar72]

29. Asked my wife last night

what do we not have enough of to last two weeks. Made a list and picked up a few things. Have decided to absent ourselves for two weeks. I have a pretty good idea of what's coming and I think we'll sit it out.

[Kaleva]

32. I'm going to store tomorrow when it opens at 7.

I want to stock the freezer up on meats, mostly pork and chicken, as it's getting low.

[EarthFirst]

31. I went to Wegmans this evening in Western New York...

Surreal is best that I can explain it.

Dozens upon dozens of empty shelves.

Eggs; milk chicken; flour; sugar; vegetable stock; you name it: gone.

Wegmans is a well know distribution and stock machine.

Unlike nothing I’ve ever experienced with any weather-related panic; and I’ve seen a few...

[llmart]

33. How nice.

Next thing you know, we'll have to have rationing because of the hoarders. In fact, that may be a good idea.

Saw a woman in Kroger today who had a huge cart loaded with just everything. The most obvious thing I saw without staring too much was three huge bags of potato chips. The underside of her cart had liters and liters of Coke. No wonder Michigan has a high obesity rate. At one time I believe we ranked first in obesity.

[tritsofme]

34. Just got back from a grocery in Chicago-area...it was mayhem.

[Lancero]

36. Arkansas, local dollar general was out of milk, cleaning supplies, and tp.

And almost out of bottled water.

Didn't think to check the local harps, or the half dozen other dollar generals within 10 miles, but I'd expect them to be the same.

Thankfully though I'd gotten a couple 12 packs a month back when they popped up for sale.

[GusBob]

37. It's the UP hey

Get your groceries in paper bags

Supports the pulp cutters, good for the deer herds

Wipe away