• Allison Miles •
• Originally published July 23, 2008 at 12:05 a.m., updated July 23, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Victoria residents continued to take the threat from Dolly in stride.

The storm was forecast to make landfall in the Brownsville area today as a hurricane, but business spokespersons reported there’s been no panic among customers.

Business began picking up Monday night at the H-E-B store on Rio Grande Street.

“This morning has just been moderate,” said H-E-B’s Roger Ortega on Tuesday. “So far there hasn’t been a big panic.”

He said he wasn’t sure if that would change as the storm approached the coast.

But Colin Keag at Dick’s Food Store said he wasn’t expecting a big rush. About one in five customers appeared to be buying bottled water and similar supplies in larger-than-usual quantities, he said.

“I guess they’re just going to be careful and stock up just in case,” he said.

Bryan Harrison at McCoy’s Building Supply said that store didn’t have long lines and he wasn’t expecting a rush.

“I think, to be honest with you, because it’s not a big storm and it’s forecast to go in pretty far south, everybody is thinking we’re just going to get rain,” Harrison said. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to be anything major.”

Generators and bottled water were the big sellers at Lowe’s Home Improvement, although a few people have purchased plywood, Zone 1 Manager Brisa Alvarado said.

“It’s nothing too crazy,” she said. “We’ve seen those days where customers will wrap around the building just to get (plywood).”

The store sets up tables with hurricane preparedness equipment if it appears a storm is headed toward Victoria, Alvarado said, but it hasn’t gone that far yet.

Home Depot has also seen an increase in generator and plywood sales, specialty manager Mike Kuecker said.

“There is a sense of urgency,” he said, noting that this is just the beginning of the storm and people don’t know what to expect yet. “I’ve already got my plywood.”

People are buying up ropes and tarps at Mid Coastal Lumber Ltd. in Palacios, assistant manager Alyson Vavra said, but there hasn’t been any panic.

“People have inquired about plywood and plywood clips but we haven’t sold much yet,” she said. “If the storm does head our way, I see an increase in business.”

It’s the building tie-downs that are disappearing from Action Lumber in Port Lavaca, owner Eddie Buehring said.

“That was really the only thing that we sold,” he said. “People are saying they can’t find them anywhere in town.”

But Buehring predicted other sales might go up if Dolly veers this way.

“Everybody waits until the last minute,” he said. “You know how that goes.”

David Tewes and Allison Miles are reporters for the Advocate. Contact Tewes at 361-580-6515 or dtewes@vicad.com. Contact Miles at 361-580-6511 or amiles@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com

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