Winter Weather Spurs Mad Dash For Supplies

By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A mad dash for food staples put metro grocery stores on high alert. Many stores were in desperate need of restocking shelves with much needed items after shoppers cleared out supplies.

Crest Foods has a local distribution center so it's easier for store managers to restock shelves.

Aaron Crowder said he couldn't believe the mad dash for food items. He said he wasn't one of those shoppers snapping up everything in sight because of the weather.

"Just a few little items that I thought we'd pick up that we were running low on. We actually were pretty prepared for it," Crowder said.

That's because Crowder is from Indiana where winters like this are pretty common. He said he did find humor in how Oklahomans reacted to news of the winter storm.

"A couple of days ago when you guys gave the pre-warnings, they were wiping it out. I mean everything was gone," Crowder said.

Crest Foods store managers at both locations confirmed Thursday night that the Meridian location was running low on milk, but Friday, the shelves were restocked.

"We have a distribution center here in Oklahoma City. Our trucks bring us our goods. If they can get out they'll bring us our goods," said Dale Brooks, Crest Foods Store manager.

Once the snow started, store managers said foot traffic really picked up. About 10,000 people passed through the Edmond store in just two days.

"They said this was really bad. A lot of people coming in on Wednesday at last minute trying to make sure they had something at home for the kids and the rest of the family," Brooks said.