HURRICANE SANDY PANIC BUYING IN BETHESDA CONTINUES TO CAUSE SHORTAGES OF WATER, BATTERIES AND MORE (PHOTOS)

PLUS:

WHAT ITEMS ARE

YOU BUYING THE

MOST OF IN

BETHESDA?

I KNOW THE ANSWERS!

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Saturday was far from a day of rest for Bethesda residents gathering supplies ahead of Hurricane Sandy's devastating arrival Monday.  Drivers sat in long lines at gas stations in downtown Bethesda, and over on River Road.  Demand was so high that Sunoco ran out of fuel, but called in a new tanker by mid-evening Saturday.  C and D size batteries, and bottled water remain the most-ransacked items in Bethesda.

Strosniders on Arlington Road said they are expecting a fresh shipment of those batteries today.  Bottled water shortages spread from Bethesda Row to the Arlington Road Safeway, to the Westbard Giant.

You've heard a lot about lists from the authorities and media.

But what is actually on a Bethesda hurricane shopping list?

I've gathered the answers for you, based upon the most-purchased items at grocery stores across town.

TOP SELLERS IN BETHESDA:

1. Bottled water

2. C/D batteries

3. Milk

4. Paper towels

5. Peanut butter

6. Ritz crackers

7. SPAM

8. Tortilla chips

9. Ramen noodles

10. DVDs

Enjoy this photo gallery of fellow residents furiously preparing for Hurricane Sandy, vicariously from your easy chair (unless you haven't finished shopping yet!).

Water aisle at Arlington Rd. Safeway

Westbard Giant water aisle

Westbard paper towel aisle

Peanut Butter aisle

Bethesda is crackers about Ritz

Bethesda is grabbing handfuls of DVDs, but even a
killer storm can't sell them on trash like
Angels & Demons with Tom Hanks

Lines formed at gas stations Saturday,
and some even ran out of gas

Don't "panic" about Sandy:

Follow @BethesdaRow

on Twitter!

HURRICANE SANDY UPDATE: 3 SCENARIOS FOR BETHESDA, DC AREA

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Sandy met expectations yesterday, strengthening into a hurricane even earlier in the day than expected.  Currently a Category 2 storm, Sandy has already hit Jamaica and Cuba.

What now for the U.S. East Coast?

The outcome is just as up in the air as it was yesterday at this hour.

But atmospheric conditions suggest 3 likely outcomes.

The worst case scenario is a direct hit to Maryland, via the Chesapeake Bay.  Based on current behavior, Sandy should arrive here after 8:00 AM Monday morning.  So we have a few days to track how this is going, and prepare accordingly.

Even under milder Scenario 2, Sandy will give a Winnie the Pooh-worthy blustery day - or 2 or 3.  We could still have some wind damage and power outages, but not a direct hit.

Finally, Scenario 3 finds us escaping unscathed, with no storms at all, and a return to cooler fall weather.  It all depends on that low pressure system, and if it stays over us through Monday.  That would push Sandy away from the East Coast and out to sea.

Right now, you may want to think about securing or bringing in any objects in your yard, or on your apartment balcony, as we get closer to Monday.  That would include Halloween decorations, for example.

Let's hope for the best, as a direct hit would make for a scary Halloween indeed!

Here are the latest stats for Sandy:

LOCATION:  40 miles E of Holguin, Cuba

WINDS:  105 MPH

MOVING:  N at 18 MPH

Latest Developments:

+TROPICAL STORM WARNING

S OF FLAGLER BEACH, FL

+AIR FORCE RECON PLANE

TO FLY NEAR SANDY

LATER THIS A.M.