RICHMOND, Va (WTVR) -- It is never too early to prepare, but it can be too late. Richmond residents were out in large numbers today buying items like batteries, flashlights, etc., in preparation for Hurricane Sandy which could make landfall here in the Commonwealth by this weekend.
"You don't wait to the last minute, because everything is going to be sold out," Pleasants Hardware shopper Ms. Mary said.
In anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, Ms. Mary was inside Pleasants Hardware soon after it opened Friday morning. The Richmond resident bought items for her oil lamp, a lamp she said was essential last year when Hurricane Irene blew into town.
"It was bad," she recalled. "I think I was without lights for almost six days."
Store manager Clay Butler has worked at Pleasants Hardware for 30 years. Over the decades, he reminds his customers about the importance of prepping for severe storms.
"Right now is the time to really make sure you have batteries and your flashlights are working," Butler said. "You don't want to wait until the middle of an event. You want to make sure those things are right."
In addition to batteries, flashlights and oil lamps, customers were also stocking up on generators--in case there are long power outages.
"Plan for the worst and hope for the best," Butler said.
But if Hurricane Sandy packs a punch anything similar to Irene's, thousands of Dominion Virginia Power customers could find themselves in the dark. But Dominion officials said crews are already on standby.
For more information on storm survival supplies, click here.
