As Hurricane Irene Approaches, Locals Prepare

This evening in the area, locals are stocking up on last minute hurricane supplies and staying fairly calm about the storm that's scheduled to hit the area tomorrow, but it has not been that way all day.

Janet Torsiello, closing manager of Super Foodtown on Route 35 in Wall said the morning crowd was a lot different than this evenings.

"From the minute the doors opened there was a line of people waiting to get in," said Torsiello. "We've been selling out of water, batteries and bread. We've been pretty stocked up on everything else."

This evening, the lines are much shorter than they were earlier and locals are picking up a few last items including goodies for their hurricane parties, hoping they don’t have to leave the area.

"I've lived here my whole life and have never seen a storm that bad," said 27-year-old Andy Philips of Belmar, who has stocked up on beer and Red Bull for a hurricane party he hopes to attend.

At 5:30 p.m. Amy Shrewsbury of Highlands is headed home from her job in Lake Como. As a business owner, she is worried about her store.

"We taped up the windows. Hopefully we'll be be okay," said Shrewsbury. "I'm worried about flooding and windows being broken."

Like many others, Shrewsbury has supplies ready for the storm - plenty of water, non perishables, crackers, beef jerky, trail mix, peanut butter and jelly.

"If it comes to it, I'll evacuate up to Pennsylvania,” said Shrewsbury.

Kristen Ferrara of Belmar is stocking up on food for herself and her family and is planning on staying put.

"In South Carolina I've been through two category 2s," said Ferrara. “We’ve searched for a generator and we’re excited for the storm.”

Lisa Buschino of Manasquan was enjoying a run at the Spring Lake boardwalk Friday evening. While she is nervous about the storm, being that she lives inland in Manasquan, she has taken the recommended precautions to prepare and plans on staying unless she is mandated to move.

"If tomorrow seems worse, we (she and her family) will go to Piscataway. When I got gas at 10:30 a.m., the guy told me people were lining up at 5 a.m," said Buschino who also added that some people aren't taking the storm seriously and that's making her nervous. In more than 50 years of living in New Jersey, she has never seen warnings as serious as the ones of Hurricane Irene.

Over at Kmart on Route 35 in Wall, Carolyn Anastasia of Sea Girt is picking up a few things for herself, already have completed her hurricane shopping.

"I have a lot of coolers and ice in the freezers. I cooked and made food that won't taste bad cold," said Anastasia.

At in Spring Lake Heights, Karen Turisa of Spring Lake Heights enjoyed drinks with friends on Friday evening. At home she has water, sports drinks and tuna prepared for the storm.

Having had followed advice of officials on what to have on hand for the storm, most locals are staying calm and waiting for the storm, hoping to not have to leave their homes and go days without power.