A mother from the West Midlands was left stunned after discovering her local supermarket had been stripped bare by shoppers panic buying ahead of the arrival of Storm Goretti.
Shelves Cleared Amid Weather Warnings
Jennifer Marsh, 30, visited the Asda store on High Holborn Street in the Sedgley area of Dudley at 6.30pm yesterday, only to find almost no fresh vegetables, bread, or meat left for sale. The mother-of-two had gone out specifically to buy baby milk for her daughter.
Ms Marsh explained on TikTok that her mother-in-law, an employee at the shop, said everything was normal until meteorologists issued the storm warning. The store lies within the Met Office amber warning area for the West Midlands, which was activated at 8pm last night amid forecasts of up to 30cm (1ft) of snow.
"I think panic buying is silly when the snow is predicted for a couple of days," Ms Marsh said. Her video of the empty aisles has garnered over 2,000 likes. "But I can understand why people do it if they are anxious about the snow and when they will next get to leave the house."
Widespread Disruption as Storm Hits
The empty shelves in Dudley were not an isolated incident. Similar panic buying was reported in the Aberdeenshire village of Kemnay, where ice-covered roads blocked deliveries after heavy snow. Community council member Richard Lamplugh confirmed a definite food shortage, attributing it to worried residents stockpiling.
Storm Goretti has caused significant disruption across the UK. National Grid reported 64,000 properties were without power this morning, with 48,000 in the South West and 15,000 in the West Midlands. Birmingham and East Midlands airports suspended operations due to heavy snow, and numerous train services were cancelled.
Ms Marsh described the local chaos, stating, "All the local schools around me are closed due to the snow. Cars were getting stuck on our road, left, right and centre last night as we live on a hill and we had cars being dumped as people gave up on their journeys."
Further Warnings Issued
The Met Office has now issued fresh yellow warnings for snow and ice for today and Sunday, predicting another 30cm (1ft) of snow in parts of Scotland and northern England. A combination of melting snow and rain has also increased flood risks, with the Environment Agency issuing 107 flood alerts and 14 warnings for England.
Furthermore, the UK Health Security Agency has extended its amber cold weather health alert for all of England until Monday, warning of a potential 'rise in deaths' due to the severe conditions.
The Asda store in Sedgley operates from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. The Daily Mail has approached Asda for comment on the incident.
