Eclipse Mania in Bend, Oregon stores are going to run low on fresh food

#1

Hello there I’m Reed from Bend Oregon. We are in a zone that is expecting 100,000 or more people coming into our town. All the locals are being told to stock up on food, water, gas, toilet paper, medicine,cash, etc. by Monday. The stores aren’t getting any deliveries between the 18th-22nd of August. I have meat in my freezer. I’m worrying about fresh produce and eggs. Any suggestions? I’m thinking of hitting the store the day before for fresh stuff even though I know it will be insane here. They’re expecting people to start trickling in Wednesday this week. So the stores could run out before Sunday. For those in these eclipse zones what are you buying to eat?

(Arlene) #2

Good thing you have meat in your freezer. I would just eat meat, or fast. Have some planning different meat meals. Make a game of it if it’s really starting to freak you out. It’s only one week, after all.

#3

True it will be fine. I just like a lot of fresh veggies.

(Stickin' with mammoth) #4

Holy crap, seriously?

I visited a friend in Bend a few weeks ago, he runs the new Market of Choice there. I gave him all sorts of advice about how to enjoy the eclipse with his young children (stay home) and make the most of the event at this store (put every beer with “eclipse” in the name front and center and order twice as much) and he offered me an exclusive deal to be able to park overnight at the store.

Yeah, right. Local police are predicting the drive time from Bend to Madras (the area in the path of totality) will increase from 30 minutes to six hours on Eclipse Day. Aw, hell, no. I have other plans.

Here’s what I’m packin’ for those plans: hard boiled eggs, bacon, rendered bacon fat, tomatoes, a little mustard, and a lot of salt. That should hold me through whatever traffic apocalypse I find on highway 197 and Interstate 84. I may also bring a sleeping bag. You never know.

#5

Hi baconmecrazy I live down the street from Market of Choice. Yes they’re telling us to stay home if we can. I have a friend that works at a downtown bar and she said they had to have all their food ordered by August 15th. It’s going to be a real shit show. Luckily I can walk to work downtown. I’m more concerned that the power grid is going to go down. National Guard is going to be in town assisting with traffic. I heard that they’re going to have FEMA here to do a training/practice for Cascadia Event since so many people are here. Crazy. These are the times I wish I had a garden.

(Carpe salata!) #6

Last decent eclipse here was in 2000. It was across the outback and only really hit one town which was admittedly 1 maybe 3 days drive from civilisation. A few people arrived the day before but most descended on the day and were pretty much gone the next day. This eclipse was at sunset. Since yours is around mid day, I’d expect people to just make a day trip of it. The day before and after will be pretty normal.

On the day here, Ceduna went from population ~3000 to about 50,000 and back again. It was a fun day and well managed. It was like a carnival atmosphere - everyone chatting and having fun.

(Stickin' with mammoth) #7

Holy shitstorm, Batman.

Just start making lots of ice every day and packing your freezer with it, it will save your food if a blackout kills your fridge. That’s how this ketoer kept her HWC intact through the last one.

I’m using this week to train myself to wake up at an ungodly hour so I can make it from Portland to 197 before it becomes strange and annoying. We’ll see. I’m still skeptical that there will be as many people as predicted–we’re talkin’ about a country that would rather watch a meteor shower on their smartphones than waddle outside and look up.

I figure even if I don’t make it to the spots I’ve scouted, the farther I go on my route, the closer I’ll get to the most open views. Anything in the path of totality is the goal, even if it’s pulling over on the side of the highway. I’m just hoping the weather is good in other places, too, so those people won’t change their plans and come over to crowd my spots. I wonder how many idiots realize the Oregon coast is buried in thick advection fog every day until late morning? Don’t tell them!

Cool NASA stuff

Timing map across Oregon

(Stickin' with mammoth) #8

My buddy in Bend said a Japanese company had booked up an entire large, ritzy resort in the area over four years ago, using it as a reward for high performing employees they’re flying in this week. People with means are going to be hanging around sooner and longer, which will be good news for Bend.

So long as they stay off my highway.

#9

We’re going to have to drive about five hours to get into the totality zone. We are headed towards an isolated area, but even in the towns nearby, we are expecting there to be no gas or supplies. We are hauling spare gas and tons of water, but I plan to fast for the duration. We are planning to be in place about 12 hours ahead of time, and if we hit trafficgeddon on the way home, we will be prepared. We even have a portable toilet and toilet tent. And we bought lots of extra toilet bags (and toilet paper!) in case we get mobbed by desperate people when we set it up.

We will have some food with us, primarily for our daughter, but also just in case one of us starts to feel sick, as happens on fasts sometimes, and because, well, you just never know. But food was actually the least of my concerns.