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Community Corner

Pre-Earl, Store Shelves Remain Well-Stocked

No shortage of water, batteries and other essentials yet, retailers say.

A ragged swirl expected to graze Long Island's coast Friday afternoon, Hurricane Earl has inspired Port Washington officials to warn residents of approaching winds and rains, but locals didn't seem to flock to grocery stores today to stock up on necessities.

"We don't do anything, really," said Ryan Mintzer, an assistant store manager at Stop & Shop, pausing during a request for pesto pasta sauce. "We always have a lot of water, batteries, but we don't really do anything crazy,"

King Kullen, exterior brick walls bordered by shelves of potted mums for sale in threes, was similarly tranquil inside. Store manager Lori Seus said customers have requested "nothin', really, just water—basically what you see on the table there."

Seus gestured to a shrine of just-in-case buys: candles ($7.49 for a bag of "scented tea lights; $4.99 for larger, jarred autumnal shades of orange, brown, yellow and red), batteries, empty flashlights ($2.29 each), matches, and plastic jugs of water. The table stood fully-stocked and undisturbed, save for a woman in an off-the-shoulder t-shirt who picked up, looked over and ultimately reconsidered a plastic torch.

By contrast, similar but heavier-duty items flew off the shelves at Alper's Hardware.

"We've sold through most of our stock of flashlights," employee Ed Trabulus said by phone, adding that almost every purchase today included flashlights, batteries, or lanterns.

Depending on the weather, Trabulus said he expected the sales to continue Friday.

"It's pretty standard fare—we go through it a couple times a year," he said.

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