Grocery Store Panic

Everytime there is a major storm in Philadelphia several things happen.

1) Everyone comments on how bad its supose to be.
2) Every grocery store is inidated with crazy people who think that end of the world is coming tomorrow and they need to buy as much food as possible.
3) Traffic gets worse, even if the storm hasn't hit yet.

In particular for Snow storms:

4) In the winter every girl on Penn's campus pulls out their uggs, which are laughably horrible as snow boots.
5) I start doing a snow dance and cross my fingers for huge amounts of snow. (my roommates, philly friends, and co-workers hate me for this).
6) I wonder if I have the money to go up to my parents house and go skiing (I never do).

But of all the crazy things that storms in particular bring to philly the run on the grocery stores is perhaps the most ridiculous. People don't just pick up the basics, water, milk, bread, cans of soup. No they clear out the store. Ice Cream and beer are my favorite storm foods, but I'm not going to buy twice the amount of food that I can actually eat in a week. Also I'm not going to buy all parishable food. The amounts of yogurt, eggs and shrimp, that people buy is amazing. If we loose electricity and your fridge stops working, what are you going to do? Either put it outside in the snow bank or eat it.  And if its the middle of the summer? Your going to have to throw half of it out.

I understand the need to be prepared. To have food and water. I'm not saying don't prepare. I just don't understand the craziness which is grocery stores in Philly.