New Yorkers were scrambling yesterday to prepare for Hurricane Irene — stocking up on supplies, securing property, and making plans to flee to safety.
“My son-in-law has four hotel rooms ready in Manhattan for us,” said Joan Louw, 78, who lives right on the water’s edge in Rockaway Beach, Queens. “I have no idea what we’ll do or if we have to go.”
In Coney Island, Deno Vourderis, 30, co-owner of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, was busy getting ready for a wild ride.
“We’re taking down parts of the rides so it’s easier for the wind to pass through,” he said. “We’re removing panels and leaving the framework up. Hopefully, this will be enough. It could get bad out here.”
Across the city, hardware stores were having a banner day.
“Today, people are being proactive, preparing for the storm — they are expecting the worst!” said Josh Breit, the manager of an Ace Hardware store in the West Village. “We’ve been selling umbrellas, candles, flashlights, batteries, water pumps.”
In Battery Park City, residents were bracing for the worst.
“All the moms on my online-moms group are posting questions about whether they should stock up on anything,” said Martine Audet, 35, a stay-at-home mother.
“At the very least, I’ll buy some extra batteries and bottled water and dry goods. We also need to make sure we have enough baby supplies.”
Additional reporting by Amber Sutherland and Lachlan Cartwright