If it's like Austin, it is local panic. My local supermarket was out of bottled water by 4:30 p.m. yesterday.
LOL!! Lou Dobbs just read a letter from a viewer that said he was too far left and needed to be "bitch slapped."
I'm always ready for something but I seriously doubt if we'll even get much, or any, rain from Rita. There might be a serious gas shortage if it lands in the right place but sheesh.
Re: the bottled water. People forget that they always have 40-60 gallons in the hot water heater.
I don't get it. Austin and Waco have water, aren't being evacuated, and may get some big, long thunderstorms (refuse to think about tornados). This isn't much different than our normal violent weather threats in the spring, when nobody stocks up on anything. Plenty of time to fill water bottles if anybody feels the urge. Want to bet Central Texas area HEB's are out of toilet paper too?
We're in Florida, and have a good supply of hurricane items on hand.
But after Katrina, my hubby went to the store and REALLY stocked up on non-perishables because we knew that at the first sign of a hurricane, the stores would be totally emptied.
After seeing those images on TV of NO, people will tend to panic if a storm is headed their way.