Many New Yorkers who went out to buy a snow shovel or a window scraper Monday were probably too late. A lot of the shelves were bare before they arrived. Our Mahsa Saeidi was out among the shoppers and filed this report.
“I tried this for the last 3 days - to find snow blowers - and I came up good today,” said Staten Island resident Bobby Ranelli.
Ranelli came up good because he showed up early. He was one of the first inside the Coney Island Home Depot when the doors opened before dawn Monday morning.
With the city was placed under a blizzard warning, he said he had to find a snow blower fast.
“I’ve got a long driveway, I’ve got a long front of my house and I shovel by hand. So when they're telling me about 2 feet, I think that becomes a problem,” Ranelli said.
“They have no shovels and no salt,” said Ronnie Katzoff of Sea Gate, Brooklyn.
Things weren't as rosy for Katzoff, but he says he can handle anything this storm delivers.
“I live in Sea Gate so we're used to this,” he said. “We always have power failures - always. The lights always go out, but the question is for how long.”
How long - and how much snow are we getting - fearing the worst, shoppers scrambled to get their hands on shovels, salt, window scrapers - anything to remove snow and ice.
At the Gowanus Lowe’s, many shoppers could not find the supplies they need, but the store still had traction sand and salt spreaders. But there were no signs of shovels, salt or snow blowers.
Management said they were gone two and a half hours after doors opened.
Meanwhile folks were stocking up on groceries at the nearby Pathmark as well.
“We're good for a while, I think. Plenty of drinks, food, dry goods, so we shouldn't have a problem,” said one shopper.
“Now I'm prepared for the worst I guess. Hopefully it doesn't, but if it does, I’ve got some way of getting out,” said Ranelli.
Many residents we spoke with say they are going to try to get home early Monday night, and stay there Tuesday.