ATLAS - "Generators" and "sump pumps" were words of the day Friday at Cole's Hardware along Route 61 in this Mount Carmel Township village.
Customers requesting the products were a frequent occurrence, said manger Kevin Gallagher, in light of possible impacts from Hurricane Sandy early next week in the Susquehanna Valley.
Generators were sold out at the store and also the store's distribution center in Allentown, Gallagher said.
"They are looking for other possible sources," Gallagher said. "They are having a hard time locating generators. Demand is high."
The requests and answers were the same at the regions big box stores: sold out.
Lowe's in Selinsgrove and Home Depot in Bloomsburg each had wait lists, with Home Depot's topping 300 names. Wal-Mart in Coal Township had no list, and neither did Tractor Supply in Shamokin Dam. All of those stores were expecting shipments in the next day or so, with the latter two on a first-come, first-served basis.
Cole's Hardware was still well-stocked with sump pumps, flashlights and batteries, and it's likely the others were as well.
Gallaghner said some people are in "panic mode," but noted those type of reactions are typical when severe weather approaches the area.
"They can buy portable heaters or a gas fire place if people think it will get colder while without electricity," Gallaghner said. "We are still doing OK with those items."