People get nutzo in hurricanes. The shelves in grocery stores are bare, long lines at gas stations, fighting over supplies. Walmart is boarded up. No power, no water, no fast food, even McDonalds is closed. LOL
Afterwards, the grocery stores have to dump all cold foods because they are spoiled. It can take a week or more for them to clean up and open again. After hurricane Ike, the atmosphere in the grocery store was hushed, like a church. People were polite, asking each other how they did in the storm, grateful for what little there was on the shelves.