Foggy Bottom grocery stores are seeing a swell of shoppers looking to stock up on food and other storm essentials ahead of Hurricane Irene. To help you know plan ahead, The Hatchet called local stores to ask if they are staying open and how much they still have on the shelves.

Edwige Dassi, a manager at the 2000 Penn CVS, said they are “running low” on water, batteries and flashlights.

Customer service representatives from Safeway and Trader Joe’s said that stores have experienced increased traffic, but they are not running too low.

The line at Trader Joe’s has been winding throughout the store for most of the afternoon – at some points spilling over onto the sidewalk – as shoppers stocked up. Many essentials have been depleted but the store plans to restock for tomorrow.

A manager at Foggy Bottom Grocery said students are coming in looking for “grab-and-go” meals and bottled water but the store is not experiencing any shortages.

“We planned out our shipments to be stocked up for this weekend,” manager James Pollitt said. Pollitt said their latest shipment included $1,800 worth of liquor.

Pollitt said that if there is flooding, the store might have to close, but he plans to keep the store open “as much as possible to meet student’s needs.”

Employees from other local liquor stores, including Riverside Liquors and Columbia Market, said the stores will also be keeping their regular hours.

Hours:
Watergate Safeway Monday through Sat 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Trader Joe’s every day 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
FoBoGro Sunday through Wednesday 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and Thursday through Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
CVS at 2000 Penn every day 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Riverside Liquors every day 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
The Market at Columbia Plaza every day 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.