CINCINNATI — It is happening again.
Nervous shoppers, still with vivid memories of the 2020 COVID-19 shortages, are heading to supermarkets to snap up toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies and other items after hearing about the east coast port strike.
Photos on TikTok, Twitter, and other social media sites show long lines in Costco and Sam's Club this week as shoppers snap up giant packages of toilet paper, worried about shortages.
Bulk stores appear to be the target of most of the panic buying right now, with most grocery stores still having good supplies.
But it's the panic buying that will cause any shortages, not the port strike.
Why hoarding toilet paper is unneeded
The fears of shortages stemming from the port strike are unfounded.
The majority of toilet paper and paper towels that Americans use come from domestic production in Wisconsin and other northern states, as well as Canada, according to EnvionmentalAmerica.org.
Some comes from Mexico.
It travels to your supermarket by rail and truck, not ships. It is not stuck in a port that is on strike.
But just like in 2020, shoppers are not rational when it comes to panic buying.
Many people still have jugs of hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes that they hoarded, and never used, during COVID-19 shutdowns four years ago.
Grocery stores OK....for now
We visited two Cincinnnati-area Kroger stores Thursday morning and found supplies of paper products still good, though some people were buying up multi-packs.
We will see what happens in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Hopefully people will realize there is no real shortage of TP — and there will only be a shortage if shoppers panic.
As always, don't waste your money.
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