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Shoppers use Amazon Prime for water and basic storm necessities

Posted at 3:59 PM, Sep 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-06 17:41:50-04
Cases of water are flying off the shelves at local stores, but there's still a chance to get water before the storm if you order online.
 
 
The key to ordering online is to make sure your item is in stock and if you're using Amazon, check that it's available for Amazon Prime and can get to you in two days.
 
"Everybody wants water in a hurricane so we went ahead and ordered on Amazon so that we could make sure that we had it delivered on time and all that stuff," said Hervey of West Palm Beach.
 
Hervey plans to get his order on Thursday.
 
"Dog food, other snacks, I'm sure she ordered, oh batteries because batteries always run out so we ordered a ton of batteries," he said.
 
Water is available on Amazon Prime, but it is more expensive and you need to pay attention to the shipment date. A 24-case of FIJI water is available for $23.99 with a Thursday delivery date. Your delivery date can shift depending on how soon you order.
 
"We are actively monitoring our website and removing offers on bottled water that substantially exceed the recent average sales price. Prices have not widely fluctuated in the last month. Lower priced offers are quickly selling out, leaving higher priced offers from third party sellers. If customers think an offer has substantially exceeded in price we encourage them to contact Amazon customer service directly and work with us so we can investigate and take the appropriate action." – Amazon Spokesperson.
 
Gas cans are limited. They're hard to find in stores and online. A five-gallon gas can on Amazon Prime could not be shipped in two days, but using other store online sites like Home Depot you may be able to order one and pick it up at the store. 
 
UPS deliveries will continue as scheduled by air, ground, and train until weather conditions impact deliveries. If you are evacuating and want to change the destination of your order after it's been placed, you can do that on the UPS website. 
 
If you're in a crunch, some stores also offer online grocery shopping and delivery. Publix's wait times shift depending on when you order, but you can expect the items on your list the same day you order. However, there are some exceptions.
 
The online stores does not necessarily reflect what's available in stores.
 
At the Publix on Village Boulevard in West Palm Beach, the shelves where water was stocked are empty. There is also a sign that says water cases are limited to four per person. 
 
Online grocery shopping on Publix's website says water is available, but just after an hour after placing our order for three cases of water, we were notified that there was none available and the order was cancelled.
 
Stores are working to restock shelves as shipments come in.