OKEECHOBEE — An Okeechobee grocery store manager has decades of experience meeting the needs of the community before, during and after hurricanes. He shared some advice for those wanting to prepare.

Number one, of course, is to stock up ahead of time on things like water and canned goods. “Bottled water is not a bad thing to always have on hand,” he said. “Jugs of water or the 24-packs. Those are the things that tend to go the fastest when we are directly in the path of a hurricane.” He said after water, canned foods, prepared foods like Chef Boyardee are next to leave the shelves.

Following these two big sellers are things like paper plates and other paper goods which are needed if we have an actual water shortage, he explained.

“If you buy water now, it’s not like it’s going to go bad any time soon. Depending on the size of your family, just plan on so many jugs for each member of the family. When you use it, just replace it.”

If you are financially able, stock up on things like Chef Boyardee, canned soups, Beanie Wienies and canned meats. “They might taste better heated up, but these things can be eaten right out of the can.”

Another popular item during hurricanes is snack foods, things like Little Debbies, chips, crackers, cookies, comfort type foods to keep the kids happy and worry free. “These are convenience foods that help make you feel more comfortable during a stressful time.”

When asked about keeping up with the demand during hurricane prep, the manager said the company he works for has had many years to perfect their strategy, and they have it down to a science. “We turn on certain functions within our system to accommodate for heavy-water buying or other things, making sure we have, not just enough, but more than enough to meet the needs of our community.”

“We bring in batteries, flashlights, etc., make sure our bakery gets an extra shipment of flour, so if our bread deliveries can’t be here, we can make bread in house. Same with milk. The company does a good job of making sure that almost all the stores that are in areas that could be impacted by a hurricane have full-house generators.”

He explained this means if Okeechobee loses power, his store does not. In Okeechobee, they even have a second generator they can use as needed. He said after a storm, people sometimes need a break from the heat and come to local grocery stores just to feel normal for a little while. “Sometimes, it’s not about convenience, it’s about having a familiar place to go and get a hot cup of coffee or get out of the heat.”

His store stays open as long as possible, but they close when the winds get to a certain strength. They want their employees to be able to go home and prepare their own homes for the storm.

“During hurricane season, it’s just a matter of watching, preparing and knowing what’s going on. Don’t hide under a rock and be taken by surprise.”

He said even though he advises preparing ahead, he is aware that many people do not do this, and his company does a fantastic job of making sure that supply equals and even surpasses demand.

“At our store, we’ve done this for many years, and in the event that a storm does come through, we don’t generally run out of anything. We will have things that are needed, whether it be ice or water or food or a visit with friends in a comfortable environment.”