Days ahead of another forecasted snowstorm, folks in Monroe County were out stocking up on things from food to heating supplies.
However the one thing people couldn't get was rock salt as stores were sold out for now.
Outside True Value in Tannersville, Will Roche loaded up his truck with bag after bag of wood pellets.
He’s says using this less expensive way to heat his home in East Stroudsburg as this brutal winter drags on.
“I’ve gone from oil to wood pellets and my heating costs have dropped about 70 percent,” said Roche.
But the one thing folks won’t find inside True Value is rock salt.
The once stocked shelves are now empty and other items, such as shovels are starting to run out.
“Just masses of people coming in for rock salt, wood pellets is a popular item for heat, snow shovels, we’re pretty much wiped out at this point,” said True Value Manager Andrew Muller. “The manufacturers don’t seem to be keeping up the pace.”
The lack of rock salt is hitting even the bigger retailers.
Workers at the Lowe’s in Bartonsville say they are completely sold out.
At the Monroe County Emergency Management Center director Guy Miller says the county’s salt supply should be good to handle this latest storm.
But Miller says the salt shortage is hitting everywhere there’s been snowfall.
“Because of what everything that’s happened around the country at this point, everybody’s looking for salt,” said Miller. “So I believe the suppliers quite honestly were prepared for this large of a winter, I don’t know how else to say that.”
But workers at this Weis Market kept up with supply and demand for food staples, as folks raided the store preparing to weather the storm.
“We have milk, we have Texas toast, we have coffee,” said Debbie Patrone from Tannersville.
“Lots of food for three teenagers who might be home eating food all day,” said Michelle Farley from Cresco.
The Monroe County EMA director says the only municipality out of rock salt is Polk Township and they are coordinating resources to cover that township.