MIAMI, the United States, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Manny, a cashier at a large supermarket in western Miami, said Friday that local residents were crazy as he recalled the scene days ago when they fought over bottled water inside the store.
Cases of purified, mineral, or distilled water evaporated from the 10 meter shelve since Monday, when a possible landfall by category 5 Hurricane Irma steadily grew. Even multiple replenishes couldn't quench local residents' thirst for stocking up their storerooms.
Of the four supermarkets visited by Xinhua reporters Friday, two closed by midday without a confirmed reopening date, while the other two left its water shelves bare.
With only less than 24 hours to go, people who have decided to stay and ride out the incoming hurricane are not taking chances.
Hurricane Irma, which is said to be the strongest ever to form over the Atlantic Ocean, has already killed 24 people in the Caribbean islands, and is menacing than ever as it strengthened again to category 5 before its expected landfall in South Florida late Saturday.
Dai Jun, a Chinese student at the University of Miami, was doing last minute shopping at a supermarket with two friends. He had stocked up enough water and food for a week after receiving an alert from his school Tuesday.
"That was the day when people emptied the shelves of water," he recalled, counting himself fortunate for being able to buy enough.
"Today we are just here to get some cookies and fruits," said the graduate student, adding that he was both nervous and excited as this is the first hurricane he would encounter since arriving a month ago.
Despite his luck for water, Dai had worse fortune buying gas for his car.
"As the hurricane draws nearer, it has been very difficult to top off my car," he said.
As Xinhua reporters drove around Miami Friday, most of the gas stations had been closed, and those which were still open had long queues of cars waiting outside.
Claire, a visitor to Miami from Broward County, said most of the gas stations dried up by midday Friday despite a price surge of about 30 percent.
Earlier in the morning, Governor Rick Scott said the state was trying to get as much fuel into Florida as possible and asked gas stations to stay open as long as they can before the storm hits, promising police escorts to evacuate those employees safely.
The shortage of gas has severely undermined people's ability to flee Miami, as authorities issued mandatory evacuations for Monroe County and parts of Miami-Dade County and Broward County.
For those who chose to leave by air, their fate is all the more uncertain. By Friday noon, all departing flights from Miami International Airports have been temporarily grounded, forcing hundreds of people to line up at the rebooking desk.
Oliver, who was traveling with his wife, two young toddlers and three elderly relatives, told Xinhua that his family planned to leave Miami for the Dominican Republic Thursday evening, but was left in limbo after their flight was canceled twice.
"Four of us has been rebooked to a flight at noon today," Oliver said, "but the other three had not been, so we may be forced to separate."
