Super Typhoon Saola: Hong Kong shoppers strip supermarket shelves bare of fresh food as storm edges closer
- Rush to buy supplies follows announcement by Observatory it plans to issue No 8 signal between 2am and 5am on Friday, with No 10 possible later
- Some shoppers express worries about having no supplies, while others laugh off panic buying as business as usual on typhoon days
Residents have stripped supermarket shelves bare as they rushed to stock up on food as Super Typhoon Saola edged closer to Hong Kong, prompting some to complain about items running out.
The rush to buy supplies followed the Hong Kong Observatory’s announcement that it would issue a No 8 signal between 2am and 5am on Friday, adding it would upgrade the warning to No 10 if wind speeds reached hurricane levels.
The Post observed long queues as shoppers bought bread, meats and fresh vegetables at supermarkets in Sheung Wan, Causeway Bay, North Point and Discovery Bay.
Emma Gu, a 23-year-old student at the University of Hong Kong, was among those stocking up and rushed down Caine Road with a grocery bag full of vegetables, eggs and instant noodles.
“I’m so worried. I don’t want to get stuck inside with nothing to eat,” she said.
A Causeway Bay outlet of supermarket chain Wellcome was packed with customers at around 5.45pm, despite the store having already run out of bread and vegetables. A store employee said shoppers had cleared out all the vegetables by 3pm.
Customers who visited the supermarket in the evening packed their trolleys with frozen meats, pre-cooked and instant dishes, as well as snacks.