Take a guess: Why were two-gallon gas cans one of the most popular items sold on Amazon this week?
Hurricane Sandy ravaged the U.S. East Coast earlier this week, making landfall in New Jersey around 8 p.m. ET on October 29. The gigantic force of a storm took down power lines, disrupted cell phone service and caused billowing fires throughout the tri-state area and beyond.
So it should come as no surprise that supplies for storm “survival kits” were among some of the most purchased goods last week, as stores sold out of bread, batteries, bottled water and (of course) alcohol. But it appears that Amazon, too, was affected by the frantic hurricane economy.
For example, the site has seen spikes in purchases of home goods like portable gas tanks and gas-powered generators. At the time of this writing, the Briggs & Stratton 2+ Gallon Gas Tank, for example, had jumped over 900 percent in popularity over the past 24 hours, making it the fastest-rising item in Amazon's Patio, Lawn & Garden section. (These stats come from the site's Movers and Shakers list, which is updated by the hour.)
A few other hurricane-related items popular on Amazon post-Sandy are the Black & Decker’s Screwdriver, which has risen over 1,000 percent in popularity within the Home Improvement section, while the Coleman Premium Dual-Fuel Lantern is ranked fifth in the Sports & Outdoors section, with 163 percent rise in popularity.
As far as food is concerned, Business Insider noted a few odd items sold out prior to the hurricane at Trader Joe's in Manhattan, including scallions, Cheerios and turkey burgers. The HuffPost also complied its own list, finding eggs and energy bars were other top sellers.
What did you purchase in preparation for Hurricane Sandy? Did you have to buy anything after the hurricane hit for cleanup? We’d love to hear your stories below, or tweet us at [@HuffPostTech]. Then read about where to find internet in Manhattan, or why it might take a long time to get the lights turned back on in NYC (here).
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