Stocking Up for Hurricane Irene: Borough Residents Out En Masse

Batteries, generators, flashlights and bottled water were in high demand in the borough on Friday as residents hurried into shops around town preparing for Hurricane Irene.

Irene, which is currently spinning our way off the shores of Charleston, South Carolina, is expected to slam our area with heavy rain fall and high winds Saturday night and most of Sunday.

Glen Rock was abuzz with residents waiting in line for supplies at local stores.

Kilroy's Wonder Mart

The parking lot at  was jammed with cars waiting for spots, and the store was bustling, but but over-crowded.

"It's been absolutely crazy all day," said 19-year-old Kilroy's employee Jake Novak.

Novak, a Glen Rock resident, was hard at work stocking the store shelves with bottled water.

"We're one of the only stores around that still has water," said Front End Manager Ellen Florence.

As of 4:30 p.m. Kilroy's also still had ice, but was out of batteries and flashlights. The store is scheduled to close at 9 p.m.

Florence said the store was handling the rush, which she also described as crazy thanks to her employees.  

"They are the best crew around," Florence said. "They're awesome."

Glen Rock Paint and Hardware

A little further down Rock Road,  employee George Papas said his store had sold more than 30 generators on Friday.

The store was fresh out of flashlights, generators and many types of batteries earlier in the day, and residents were waiting outside the store for a truck delivering fresh supplies.

According to Papas, reached via telephone just after 5:30 p.m. the shipment had recently arrived, and the store would be staying open later than 6 p.m. to accomadate the demand.

Awaiting Provisions

Doremus Avenue resident Betty Casablanca, sitting patiently on a bench outside the hardware store said she had been waiting for the shipment for several hours, in hopes of purchasing flashlight bulbs.

But, rather than panic, Casablanca was enjoying the company of all the Glen Rockers she was meeting.

"Everybody's becoming more friendly because we're coming into a situation where everyone's going to need everybody else," Casablanca said.

Her main concern for the coming weekend was flooding in her basement and falling tree limbs that may knock out power.

She said some of the older trees throughout the borough could prove to be a risk when Irene storms into town.

"These big trees, the town has not maintained," Casablanca said. "People don't take it seriously enough."

CVS on Rock Road

Across the train tracks on Rock Road,  had plenty of bare shelves where bottled water and batteries had previously been.

Friday afternoon, lines in the store stretched about 20 deep and many residents' carts were filled with cases of bottled water.

Borough Issues Reverse 911 Call 

The borough's Office of Emergency Management sent out a reverse 911 call to residents just after 2:30 p.m. Friday.

The call urged residents to "please prepare for the impending hurricane," which would carry with it "high sustained winds and heavy rain" late Saturday and all day Sunday. The call also warned residents to expect power outages.

"If you have any medical issues that you would like us to know about, please call  and leave a message," the call stated. "Please check on neighbors that might need assistance."

The pool and the recycling center will also be closed Sunday.

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