Shoppers stock up as massive storm closes in

PETROL stations, grocery aisles and hardware stores have been flooded with customers as Townsville battens down the hatches in anticipation of a severe cyclone.

The city went into full preparation mode yesterday with a tropical low off the North Queensland coast expected to intensify and become Cyclone Debbie this morning. Residents reported that several supermarkets across the city had sold out of bread yesterday, while camping stoves, water containers and torches were popular items at hardware stores.

Locals also dug in to free sand which Townsville City Council provided at Lou Litster Park yesterday for those preparing for flooding.

Hermit Park resident Peter Franceschi filled 20 bags yesterday.

“We’ve been there for a lot of rain but not a cyclone before,” he said.

“I have a camper trailer ready to go. We might head out to Charters Towers. We saw a lady yesterday with 15L of long life milk.”

Mr Franceschi’s son, Riley, 8, said he was excited about the unusual weather.

“I want a cyclone so I can miss out on school,” he said.

IGA Bushland Beach duty manager Tamara Vauhkonen said the store was hoping to stay open during its normal hours this weekend.

“We’ve been selling tinned food like baked beans and also long life milk,” she said.

“Everywhere is a little bit like that, people are getting everything that they can.”

Ms Vauhkonen said the store was doing the best it could on such short notice.

“People are also stocking up on ice and water,” she said.

“Hopefully we have enough supplies.”

Belgian Gardens Shell owner Fred Nannestad said motorists had been filling up cars and jerry cans.

“We have been busy selling petrol and gas,” he said.

“We got fuel ( Thursday) night so we have as much in the tanks as we can.”

Mr Nannestad said he had owned the business since 1974 and had seen his fair share of cyclones.

“We’ll have our generator on so should we lose power