Taking it in stride in Town N' Country

Town N’ Country streets were wet, but there was no sign of flooding, Monday afternoon.

At Ace Hardware, cashier Wanda Freyre said she’s not worried about the possibility of a hurricane. Neither are her customers. This year, she’s ready with a generator and a propane barbecue set. All the 47-year-old needs now is canned foods, she said.

Most customers, she said, have already bought flashlights, batter-powered televisions and generators. Monday’s clientele were nonchalant about the possibility of heavy rains, flooding or hurricane strength winds.

One bought bug repellent, another paint and ice-cream.

"I want the rain to stop," said Luis Hunter, 70, an air conditioner repairman. Hunter said the storms put a damper on his business, but even so, he’s not the least bit scared. "I don’t even pay attention to it," he said. "It's the media that scares you to death."

Ediberto Maribona, 73, bought lamp oil. He said he’s already stocked on batteries and flashlights. The oil is for back up.

"It’s coming," he said of the heavy rains. "If the electricity goes, I’ve got a barbecue grill outside."

At Town N’ Country’s U-Save supermarket, Wayne Skidmore waits with a full shopping cart for a break in the rain so he can dash to his car. Skidmore, 47, said he’d report to his civil surveyor job from home today. "A lot of people took the day off," he said.

Skidmore said he’s stocked up on 10 five-gallon containers, ready to be filled, and glow sticks.
"They work much better," he said. Last hurricane season, he and his family, were in the dark for three days. He used two glow sticks per room. "Two of them light the whole room," he said.

Supermarket assistant manager Larry Kirkpatrick said business was average. He said the store was stocked with water and plenty of food. He doesn’t expect a rush until later Monday, when people get out of work and hear that Tropical Storm Alberto may become a Category 1 hurricane.