A series of winter storms and large-scale power outages in Texas and other unusual states at such extreme low temperatures create major challenges in the nation’s food supply networks.
Food chains such as Walmart and Publix have been forced to close some stores due to lack of power or lack of workers. And in locations that remain open, customers complain of long queues outside and then empty their shelves once full of water, bread and milk as they enter. The Texas HEB food chain, for example, has closed some stores and limited customer purchases of items such as chest and propane tanks.
Power outages have caught many unprepared people, such as Jon Reilly, who says he always has a month’s supply of hurricane cans. But on Wednesday, his daughter and wife waited in line for 20 minutes in front of a grocery store in Corpus Christi, Texas, to go out with bread and water. They found no milk, cheese or meat. It also no longer has propane, which it uses to power the outdoor grill for cooking.
“I thought it would be cold,” Reilly said. “We didn’t expect to have power for a week.”
Rodney Giles, 35, of Woodlands, Texas, went out Tuesday to grill for his family. But he ended up waiting in line for two hours outside his local HEB. When he went inside, the only things available were tofu, oat milk, and other things he didn’t want. But after experiencing several hurricanes and pandemics, he hopes the store’s stock will improve soon.
“Even during the pandemic here in March, the first day the shelves were empty, but the next day they were fully stocked,” Giles said.
Retailers in Texas and other parts of the South are accustomed to hurricanes that can force them to close for a few days. But this week’s massive winter storms are more devastating, wreaking havoc on roads and entire transportation infrastructure. The coronavirus pandemic only exacerbates the problem, as stores have to limit the number of customers.
Michael Zimmerman, a partner in the strategic operations of global management consulting firm Kearney, predicts it will take another two weeks for grocery shelves in the affected areas to “look normal again.” He mentioned that the food chains carry out a very efficient operation, keeping in stock what they need and relying on continuous flows of deliveries. But this can backfire on situations such as snowstorms and power outages when it helps you have additional inventory.
“Supermarkets just don’t take place, even if they could store garlic for three years,” he said.
In the meantime, food suppliers have to reduce their operations or close farms and plants due to disruptions. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued a red alert earlier this week, noting that he receives calls from farmers across the country, reporting that power and gas outages have a “devastating effect on their operations.”
In one example, dairy operations dump $ 8 million worth of milk into drains every day because milk-processing plants have no power, Miller said in a statement.
“We are looking at a food supply chain issue, as we have never seen before, even with COVID-19,” he said.
Tyson Foods says it has temporarily reduced or suspended production at some facilities to save energy costs.
Sanderson Farms Inc., one of the largest chicken companies in the United States, estimated Tuesday that up to 200 of Texas’ approximately 1,900 chicken houses are powerless. But Mississippi president and CEO Joe F. Sanderson Jr. remained optimistic.
“This experience is similar to a hurricane,” he said. Sanderson, Jr., in a statement. “We have experience in managing catastrophic weather events and this will not be different.”
Supply problems have spread to food banks, hindering their ability to feed the needy. Celia Cole, CEO of the famine rescue organization Feeding Texas, said most of the 21 food banks the organization runs across the country have been closed due to weather, energy problems or the fact that people cannot get to work. But more are supplying food to heating stations in more urban areas of the state.
“I don’t think there’s a single community that hasn’t been touched,” she said. “The biggest challenge we face in terms of our ability to help people is disrupting the supply chain.”
In the midst of the chaos, however, there are a few bright spots, such as for 24-year-old Bruna Villalon, who lives with her husband and three dogs in Austin, Texas. She went to Walmart on Monday to stock up on essentials when she stopped power.
“The store manager had to ask each buyer how much they thought was food, and if we didn’t have money, we could just leave with food,” said Villalon, who paid $ 20 in cash for about $ 35. worth food.
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D’Innocenzio and Anderson are based in New York. AP Business writer Dee-Ann Durbin of Ann Arbor, Michigan contributed to this report.