Tropical Cyclone Ilsa preparation leaves supermarkets barren
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Tropical Cyclone Ilsa is intensifying off the coast of Western Australia, with warnings from meteorologists that this cyclone could be the most powerful to make landfall in the area in more than a decade.
Locals are urged to prepare for the impending storm by visiting their local supermarkets to stock up on the essentials. For any impacted SDC members, please stay safe and heed all safety advice provided by authorities. We are all thinking of you in this scary time.
Residents in certain parts of Western Australia are being evacuated as Tropical Cyclone Ilsa gears up to reach Category 4, generating winds up to 240 km/hr as it moves towards the coast.
Those who plan to stay behind have been warned to expect damage from the storm’s winds – reported to be strong enough to lift camper vans. By the time it reaches landfall (expected this Thursday afternoon), the cyclone could produce winds of up to 275 km/hr and rainfall of 200 to 400 millimetres, which is likely to cause flooding.
With this in mind, locals living in the Pilbara region have stripped supermarket shelves bare of their essentials, including fresh produce, water, meat, and dairy products, in preparation for the oncoming storm.
Pilbara ABC reporter Michelle Stanley revealed the state of a Port Hedland Woolworths store earlier this week, showing how the store was empty of stock.
‘Thoughts and prayers for Port Hedland supermarket staff today. Needless to say, the water aisle was also rather bare,’ she said on Twitter and shared a video alongside the post.
In a separate photo, Ms Stanley also showed the store’s cheese section completely bare.
‘It appears I’m not the only person interested in cyclone cheese,’ she wrote.
Reports of people ‘panic-buying’ began on Monday, but locals appeared to be understanding, given their current situation.
‘Well, when it gets flooded out and takes an extra four to five days for food to get there, then I don’t blame people for stocking up,’ one shared.
Another agreed and said: ‘Why the h*** do people not prepare for a disaster knowing that they’re going to get hit?’
Although this impacts the supply of food and water in an area, it’s still better than letting food spoil during a disaster. In a previous report, a Woolies staff member shared their ‘hectic 24 hours’ inside a store as they pulled hundreds of items off their shelves.
Trolleys filled with fresh produce, meat, and dairy products were thrown away because supermarkets cannot sell fresh food if they have not been stored at a certain temperature. This is part of the strict health and safety regulations that Australian supermarkets adhere to. You can read more about this story here.
A spokeswoman for Coles told reporters that the retail giant was ‘working hard to ensure a reliable supply of food and groceries to our stores in Broome and South Hedland ahead of any potential impacts from the tropical cyclone heading toward Western Australia’s coastline’.
She added that the Great Northern Highway, which is the main route from the company’s distribution centre in Perth to Port Hedland, remains ‘open’.
Supermarkets in South Hedland and Broome also had an excess supply of goods that did not need refrigeration for when a cyclone or similar weather event occurred, according to the spokeswoman.
‘We have not had to cancel any deliveries. Both our stores maintain an excess supply of ambient goods should a cyclone or similar weather event occur,’ she continued.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Woolworths also issued a statement saying that the company ‘understood’ it was an ‘unnerving time for northern WA communities as they prepare for Cyclone Ilsa, so soon after January’s devastating floods’.
She explained: ‘Our teams are working hard to position additional stock of key products in Derby, Broome and Port Hedland ahead of the cyclone’s predicted landfall on Thursday to boost local supply.’
The spokeswoman added that they had made additional deliveries of meat, fruit, and vegetables to Port Hedland.
‘Our emergency cyclone containers have also been restocked with essentials to support the community. We have pre-emptively introduced a two-pack purchase limit on fresh meat products to ensure there is enough to go around. We ask our customers to be mindful of others and to continue to buy only what they need,’ she stated.
Will you be affected by the storm? Have you stocked up on essentials? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Remember to take all the necessary precautions for the next few days and keep your eye on local weather updates as well. Stay safe, and take care of yourselves!
Locals are urged to prepare for the impending storm by visiting their local supermarkets to stock up on the essentials. For any impacted SDC members, please stay safe and heed all safety advice provided by authorities. We are all thinking of you in this scary time.
Residents in certain parts of Western Australia are being evacuated as Tropical Cyclone Ilsa gears up to reach Category 4, generating winds up to 240 km/hr as it moves towards the coast.
Those who plan to stay behind have been warned to expect damage from the storm’s winds – reported to be strong enough to lift camper vans. By the time it reaches landfall (expected this Thursday afternoon), the cyclone could produce winds of up to 275 km/hr and rainfall of 200 to 400 millimetres, which is likely to cause flooding.
With this in mind, locals living in the Pilbara region have stripped supermarket shelves bare of their essentials, including fresh produce, water, meat, and dairy products, in preparation for the oncoming storm.
The Tropical Cyclone is expected to make landfall this afternoon or early Friday morning. Credit: Pixabay/Pexels
Pilbara ABC reporter Michelle Stanley revealed the state of a Port Hedland Woolworths store earlier this week, showing how the store was empty of stock.
‘Thoughts and prayers for Port Hedland supermarket staff today. Needless to say, the water aisle was also rather bare,’ she said on Twitter and shared a video alongside the post.
In a separate photo, Ms Stanley also showed the store’s cheese section completely bare.
‘It appears I’m not the only person interested in cyclone cheese,’ she wrote.
Reports of people ‘panic-buying’ began on Monday, but locals appeared to be understanding, given their current situation.
‘Well, when it gets flooded out and takes an extra four to five days for food to get there, then I don’t blame people for stocking up,’ one shared.
Another agreed and said: ‘Why the h*** do people not prepare for a disaster knowing that they’re going to get hit?’
Storm update early Thursday morning, courtesy of the Bureau of Meteorology. Credit: Perth Weather Live/Facebook
Although this impacts the supply of food and water in an area, it’s still better than letting food spoil during a disaster. In a previous report, a Woolies staff member shared their ‘hectic 24 hours’ inside a store as they pulled hundreds of items off their shelves.
Trolleys filled with fresh produce, meat, and dairy products were thrown away because supermarkets cannot sell fresh food if they have not been stored at a certain temperature. This is part of the strict health and safety regulations that Australian supermarkets adhere to. You can read more about this story here.
A spokeswoman for Coles told reporters that the retail giant was ‘working hard to ensure a reliable supply of food and groceries to our stores in Broome and South Hedland ahead of any potential impacts from the tropical cyclone heading toward Western Australia’s coastline’.
She added that the Great Northern Highway, which is the main route from the company’s distribution centre in Perth to Port Hedland, remains ‘open’.
Supermarkets in South Hedland and Broome also had an excess supply of goods that did not need refrigeration for when a cyclone or similar weather event occurred, according to the spokeswoman.
‘We have not had to cancel any deliveries. Both our stores maintain an excess supply of ambient goods should a cyclone or similar weather event occur,’ she continued.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Woolworths also issued a statement saying that the company ‘understood’ it was an ‘unnerving time for northern WA communities as they prepare for Cyclone Ilsa, so soon after January’s devastating floods’.
She explained: ‘Our teams are working hard to position additional stock of key products in Derby, Broome and Port Hedland ahead of the cyclone’s predicted landfall on Thursday to boost local supply.’
The spokeswoman added that they had made additional deliveries of meat, fruit, and vegetables to Port Hedland.
‘Our emergency cyclone containers have also been restocked with essentials to support the community. We have pre-emptively introduced a two-pack purchase limit on fresh meat products to ensure there is enough to go around. We ask our customers to be mindful of others and to continue to buy only what they need,’ she stated.
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