Let me just start by saying that the panic buying that took place at the start of the pandemic was, in a word, "disgusting." It really made me fear for the community, to see how wild eyed people were acting, while stocking up for the lockdown. It got to the point early in the pandemic, that I wasn't so much fearing the virus, as I was fearing people and what they might do for a roll of toilet paper.

In the beginning it was toilet paper, disinfectants and other cleaning supplies that were tough to find. Then I would watch as one family would fill an entire cart with canned beans. Soon after, dry rice, beans and pasta were MIA from the shelves. Then came the meat shortage, after meat packing companies started showing cases of the virus.

Now that we are nearing 7 months since the pandemic launched, grocery stores are still seeing shortages in certain items. You would think that most companies would have had a chance to catch up to demand, now that the hysteria has leveled out. But, I still haven't seen a bottle of 409 cleaning spray since March. And, store shelves in Missoula and the Bitterroot are still kind of "hit n miss" when it comes to specific products.

According to NBC Montana

The owner of stores in Stevensville and Missoula wants the government to address why he keeps dealing with shortages.

Jim Edwards says the shortages started with toilet paper and beef and now include soups and beer.

Point being, maybe a person should start to fill up your pantry, as we head into the winter months. DON'T PANIC BUY! Buying a reasonable amount on canned goods and toilet paper on separate visits. But, start to prepare for winter. You never know when a big winter storm might disrupt an already crippled distribution. Or, heaven forbid, the COVID cases climb and we are forced back into a lockdown.

 

READ MORE: See how some companies are changing their businesses to combat COVID-19

 

More From 96.3 The Blaze