Middle Georgians Flock to Grocery Stores Ahead of Wintry Weather

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The winter weather has people all over middle Georgia grabbing those essential items.

41NBC’s Tucker Sargent spent a few hours at Kroger on Tom Hill Senior Boulevard Monday and spoke with a few people who were part of the madness there.

“I understand the reason why people run to the grocery stores,” says Mildred Endsley of Macon.

Endsley remembers when Macon got 16 inches of snow back in 1973.

“Macon literally at that time shut down,” she says.  “Before my husband could get home from Robins after the base let them go, the banks were closed.  At that time, we had the check coming straight home instead of direct deposit, so we were in kind of a little fix there for a minute, but thank God for good neighbors that shared.”

Among the items flying off the shelves Monday: milk, bread and ground beef.  Workers were restocking a meat case that had been completely full just a few hours earlier.

“It was animal planet,” says Andre Bowden of Macon.  “I mean, people were coming from left and right.”

Despite the large crowds and long lines, Kroger had plenty of staff on hand for an afternoon rush that started around 4 o’clock.

“The lines are long, but the people are friendly and ‘excuse me’ and everything up and down the aisles, so it was pleasant,” Endsley says.

Icy conditions make their way into middle Georgia by mid afternoon Tuesday.  If you haven’t done it already, make sure you have everything you need, especially if you live in a rural area where roads may be more dangerous.

“If you need something in the house, look in the refrigerator,” Bowden says.  “Make sure you’ve got some milk in there, make sure you’ve got some water, some good juice, some Kool-Aid–anything! Come on up here and get it!”