As Tropical Cyclone Alfred loomed ominously over South East Queensland, residents scrambled to prepare for the impending category three storm. With the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting intense winds of up to 150km/h and over half a metre of rain in some areas, the community braced for impact.
Amidst this chaos, an everyday essential became the eye of a different kind of storm in supermarkets.
In the days leading up to the cyclone’s expected landfall, supermarket aisles were reportedly ransacked by anxious shoppers, leaving shelves barren and forcing major retailers like Woolworths and Coles to impose strict buying caps. The once abundant supply of bottled water dwindled rapidly, prompting Woolworths to limit customers to two packets of bulk water per transaction.
This measure aimed to curb the ‘selfish’ hoarding behavior that had taken hold as people stocked up on essentials.
The situation was dire, with a popular food content creator, capturing the empty shelves and praising the supermarkets for their decisive action.
‘People are being selfish and silly with it,’ she lamented, recounting tales of frenzied customers clearing out three pallet loads of water in a mere five minutes. Her plea for patience and kindness, especially towards elderly customers, echoed across social media as the community grappled with the crisis.
In response to the overwhelming demand for bottled water, Woolworths’ Brisbane Regional announced an additional 1400 pallets of stock on Wednesday, including a significant amount of bulk water.
The spokesperson for Woolworths highlighted the company’s efforts to increase supplies of key products such as ‘pasta, rice, soup, nappies, baby food and formula, milk, and frozen vegetables.’ They also expressed gratitude to the state government for lifting transport curfews, which facilitated the restocking of stores.
Coles, not to be outdone, confirmed that extra deliveries, including meat, milk, bread, water, canned goods, baby formula, and toilet paper, were en route on Wednesday. The Redbank Automated Distribution Centre was reportedly handling the demand with ease, and additional staff were deployed to manage the influx of customers.
The scenes of panic buying drew comparisons to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, with social media users sharing their dismay and offering practical advice.
‘If you have empty bottles, refill them from your taps while you can,’ suggested one user, while another reminisced about the ‘bloody toilet paper saga’ and called the situation a ‘nightmare.’
For those unable to secure bottled water, another popular content creator, shared a clever hack on Facebook. She recommended using ziplock bags filled with water as makeshift freezer blocks or ice, noting their convenience and ease of storage compared to bulky containers.
‘Just fill them with water and pop in the freezer or fridge. I prefer the sandwich bag size as they fit easily in my freezer and hold 1L. Much easier to store over filling up containers,’ she posted.
As the community faces the dual challenges of preparing for a natural disaster and navigating the pitfalls of panic buying, the importance of solidarity and compassion became clear. The ‘selfish’ act of hoarding not only led to Woolworths’ ban but also serves as a stark reminder that in times of crisis, the actions of a few can have significant consequences for the many.
Let’s remember to look out for one another, share resources fairly, and approach these situations with a sense of collective responsibility.
Have you experienced similar situations in your local community? How did you and your neighbours come together to support each other? Share your stories and tips with the YourLifeChoices in the comments below—your insights could make a world of difference for someone else.
Also read: Prepare for Cyclone Alfred’s impact on your travel
Yes, people panic and behave irrationally. In the case of stocking up they buy more then they need to tide them over any period of shortages and they buy stuff that is not critical to have on hand.