Shoppers in the Triangle clear store shelves to support western NC storm victims

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Around the Triangle, store shelves are going empty from essentials. While some are concerned about dock worker issues, most are from people wanting to help those in need right now.

At the Raleigh Costco, Doug Lovette's truck is filled to the brim.

"You can't help but see the need and compassion," he said. Lovette and his church are loading up with generators, propane tanks, and flat top grills, and are all heading to western North Carolina. But even that's not everything he was hoping to pick up today.

"I try to get everything that I could. Obviously there's no TV, no baby wipes, no diapers, you know, that's what I was really coming to pick up. But I got what I could," he said.

Today, the signs at Costco let people know they're out of water and toilet paper, and it's almost all from people with the same idea, trying to help those in need.

The Durham Costco, along with Harris Teeter and Food Lion are seeing the same thing.

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Economists from NC State say while the empty shelves may lead to fears of panic buying, they're assuring people the supply issues we saw during the pandemic aren't what's happening here.

"This is totally different, this is a distribution situation where we're trying to distribute needed products to western North Carolina but in terms of the amount bought it's going to be the same it's just where it was bought," said economist Mike Walden.

Walden also believes dock worker concerns will also not impact too much, since most supplies are brought in by truck.

As for the Triangle, we will be key in helping our neighbors across the state. At the Raleigh Costco, fresh shipments of water should be on shelves within the next few days.

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