Some Florida store shelves nearly empty as Milton barrels toward coast

A wave of panic buying has begun as Floridians prepare for Hurricane Milton, which is making its way toward the state as a Category 4 storm.

Shelves typically stocked full of items with longer shelf lives – water, alcohol, canned goods and snacks – were left nearly empty at some stores in the central part of Florida.

Julia Wisniewski, a resident of St. Cloud, about 30 miles south of Orlando, went to a local Publix supermarket location on Monday to pick up some extra snacks ahead of the incoming hurricane and saw several empty shelves. 

“I’m originally from California, and though the natural disasters are different, you learn that good preparation can either make or break someone’s state of mind,” she told FOX Business. 

Milton is expected to hit Florida, a state still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in late September and killed more than 230 people across six states.

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Another social media user posted an image of bare shelves at a Walmart location in Stuart, roughly 40 miles northwest of West Palm Beach. The shelves had been stacked with water and other beverages, but all that’s left are some Prime-brand drinks and seltzers, the social media user told FOX Business. 

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Empty shelves at a Walmart in Stuart, Florida. (FOX Business)

Sara Belligoni, a researcher at the University of Central Florida on disaster and emergency management, said many bottled water and toilet paper packages were also missing from shelves at a Publix grocery store in Oviedo, north of Orlando, by Monday.

Belligoni believes that the “exceptionality of this hurricane made both long-term and newbies worried for the potential impact.”

“This area of Central Florida/Seminole County, many people moved in the last few years so they’re not used to hurricanes or storms,” she said. “On the other hand, I’ve heard of long-term people living here also getting ready.” 

FOX Business reached out to Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Publix and Costco for comment.

Empty shelves at a Publix in Oviedo, Florida. (Sara Belligoni)

Similarly, Wisniewski said residents in her area are “nervous about this one,” especially those in the flood zones close to East Lake Tohopekaliga.

The National Retail Federation (NRF), the world’s largest retail trade group, told FOX Business that it expected Americans to take precautionary measures and stock up on essential items ahead of a major and potentially devastating weather event, given that they may be without power, clean water or other necessities for an extended period of time.

The trade group believes “retailers are prepared to help their customers find the items they need to weather the storm as well as provide relief in its aftermath.” 

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Empty shelves at a Publix in St. Cloud, Florida. (Julia Wisniewski)

Despite the dire situation, Wisniewski said the community has been coming together to help one another. 

“The level of community is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Strangers willing to help with debris cleanup and housing, taking care of displaced pets, checking in on the elderly whose families are in other states,” Wisniewski said. “People here will drop everything to help others in times of crises, and I think this needs to be recognized.”