Shoppers Dash Around Stores To Stock Up On Essentials Before Snowstorm Intensifies

GARWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Residents are still preparing for the Nor'easter that has already begun to dump snow across the region Monday.

As CBS2's Christine Sloan reported, they're stocking up on food, water and other storm essentials to last for several days.

Shoppers packed into the Kings Food market in Garwood, New Jersey on Monday, moving through the store with a sense of urgency and preparing for a long night inside their homes.

For some, a snowstorm calls for special food.

"No healthy stuff. Just junk food," said Jack Scaturro.

"I am trying to get healthy stuff, but I have both. Making meatballs tonight, having a fire and going to pick up my wine," said Rae Mitrow, of Westfield.

There was tons of bread and milk in the store, but the egg shelves were empty -- employees working hard to restock popular items as quickly as possible, Sloan reported.

"It's about as crazy as can be. This is worse than Christmas and Thanksgiving and that's pretty amazing," said store employee Keith Morrison.

"They have a lot of fresh produce, it's the best. They do their business on fresh produce," said Rahway resident Joan Rothbelle.

In New York City, supermarket shelves were emptying out as shoppers hustled to buy last-minute supplies.

Shopping cart gridlock descended Monday at Fairway Market on the Upper West Side.

The meat shelves were all but bare as customers shoved past one another in a hurry to get what they needed and get home.

One frustrated woman muttered, "I can't take this.''

Store employees said Fairway was busier than it was even for Christmas.

As 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported, it was hard to find a parking spot at the Waldbaums grocery store in Fresh Meadows, Queens.

The shelves in the store were already thinned out of the essentials Monday afternoon.

Bill, with his shopping list in hand, was ready to get his shopping done anyway. He said 2 feet of snow will be perfect to spend time with his 5-year-old son.

"He'll help me shovel the driveway. We'll have fun," he said.

Diana, a mother of three, said she loves snow days when they can all sleep late and stay in their pajamas.

"This is New York City; we're gonna get a lot of snow, but we're prepared for it," she said. "In a day, the roads will be clear and we'll all be back out."

Nathaniel Garber-Shoen, owner of Garber Hardware in the West Village, said he can't remember to the neighborhood reacting to a snowstorm quite like this.

"The main difference I'd say is the similarity between the kind of traffic we get when there's hurricane or thunderstorm type of weather coming," he told WCBS 880's Alex Silverman.

The flashlight and battery shelves were cleaned out by mid-afternoon.

A blizzard warning is in effect for the metropolitan area until midnight Tuesday.

The National Weather Service said about 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible by sunset Monday and the intensity of the snow will pick up after that.

Two to 4 inches per hour are expected to fall Monday night into Tuesday morning. Accumulations of 18 to 24 inches are possible by Tuesday afternoon.

Parts of Suffolk County and Connecticut could see 24 inches or more of snow, according to CBS2 Meteorologist Justin Lewis.