HAMPTON ROADS. Va. - Hampton Roads hardware stores are seeing products fly off their shelves and people prepare for the incoming snowstorm.
"It just started this morning, people have been asking for shovels, salt, and ice melt," said Robert Woods, store manager of Kempsville Ace Hardware. "I don't expect them to last very long."
After collecting dust in the Kempsville Ace Hardware storage room for nearly four years, snow shovels are flying off the shelves once again.
"Hopefully we can get rid of these this year," laughed Woods.
Woods says he has been tracking the incoming snowstorm for days. But supply change issues prevent him from getting more supplies before the snow comes falling down.
"In my weekly order, I'm getting approximately 65% of that order each week. So, it's hard. If you go into Harris teeter or Home Depot you'll see the same thing, empty shelves.," Woods explained. "It's hard to get anything in these days."
Woods says he will likely run out of shovels, salt, and ice by Wednesday afternoon.
At Taylor's Do-It Center at Marina Shores, store manager Richard Styles is also seeing products fly off the shelves.
"I've sold two-thirds of a pound of two different types of ice melt and we've sold I believe 3 boxes of snow shovels," he said.
But Styles says Taylor's Do-It Center has more product on the way, coming from their distribution center in South Carolina.
"The distribution center has delivery trucks going around, I've got a couple more pallets coming to me right now that will go to all the stores," he explained. "They worked really hard yesterday to acquire the extra pallets of ice melt."
When battling the winter weather, Woods recommends shoveling your driveway every few hours to ensure the snow doesn't turn to ice, while Styles says the most important item families need is faucet protectors.
