Hurricane Irma can't stop this 7-Eleven and customers rejoice
ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A Category 4 hurricane approached. Roads and houses began to flood ahead of Irma. And visitors to a 7-Eleven in Fort Pierce rejoiced.
You know, like the old ad campaign. Oh, thank heaven.
That a store was open at all was cause for celebration among the throngs of customers in line at the U.S. 1 and Midway Road store. Some had come for "7-Select snacks" and other treats from communities as far as Stuart, about 30 minutes away.
At the back of a quickly moving line — never less than 15 people long throughout late morning — stood Sarah Bloomfield, clutching a Super Big Gulp in each hand.
"My uncle was here this morning. He was here at 7:30 or 6," and immediately informed Bloomfield about the one store with its lights on. Bloomfield and children Ethan and Vanessa headed over to the boarded-up but open store not long after.
Still, all was not perfect: Many shelves were empty and some popular items had sold out, including gas and ice, according to store employees. Like so many locations in St. Lucie County, by noon, puddles in the parking lot had begun to grow deep.
Follow Lisa Broadt on Twitter: @LisaBroadt
Hurricane Irma: Complete Paste BN Network coverage
More: Hurricane Irma slams Key West, Florida Keys: 'Everything is underwater, I mean everything'
More: Hurricane Irma: Much of Florida still exposed to storm's 'dirty side'