Hilo residents stock up on gas, supplies ahead of Tropical Storm Moke

HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) – On the east side of Hawaii Island, residents are using Friday for last-minute prep ahead of potential severe weather from Tropical Storm Moke.

Read more Water catchment damage, generator shortages challenge storm prep efforts in West Hawaii

For many, that means topping off at the gas station. Cars lined the Safeway gas station, and some said they had trouble filling up last week during Hurricane Lala.

As storm preparations ramped up, many residents headed to local stores to stock up on essential supplies.

One shopper said she needed paper towels and wanted to do some cooking beforehand so she could save food in case the power goes out.

Read more From picky eater to ‘Good Boy’: Oahu canine inspires local gourmet dog food line

“We don’t want to be out of everything and be late buyers, because when we did come when we had Lala, everything was out. So we thought we’d come,” said Eileen Alvarez.

Alvarez said she got everything on special thanks to $5 Friday at Safeway.

Across the street, Ivan Yamanaka of Keaau said he was shopping for a generator but couldn’t find any at Home Depot. He said he’s looked all over and might even turn to Facebook Marketplace.

At Target, managers said that a lot of the hot-selling items are canned goods, water, paper towels, and even ponchos.

Read more National Guard outlines storm recovery as response wraps on Oahu, Kauai