You're not alone if you're looking for salt for the upcoming storm and can't find any. Stores across the region are out, or on their last few bags.
"We heard it earlier on in the year that there would be a possibility that you could not get salt, and we noticed it halfway through the year, they were limiting the amount we could bring into the store," said James of West Milford Hardware and Supply.
"They're out all over the place," said Stewart Nixon of Montvale Hardware. "We've been trying to scramble to source it from different venues or different suppliers."
"I have plenty of shovels. I have plenty of sleds, but the stuff to keep people from falling, all the ice melt, we're giving them sand as an alternative option," said Matthew Jeffery of Marsala Hardware in Hillsdale.
West Milford Hardware and Supply tried to order two pallets of salt normally used for water softeners.
"Actually, that's probably less expensive than the other salt. The granules are a lot larger than traditional rock salt, or safety melt, but it will work," James said.
Two pallets were ordered, but only one was delivered.
"I had ordered two, but they limited me to one. I guess this storm... because everyone is doing the same thing, they're hopefully going to use this salt for the driveways," James aid.
Several municipalities are also finding it difficult to get their hands on enough salt for the upcoming storm, like Piscataway.
"We have about 500 roadway miles in our community, but we're down to under 500 tons which is basically only going to take care of intersections," said Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler.
He says because supplies are so low, municipalities are on the bottom of the list for deliveries.
"The pecking order in the state of New Jersey is State DOT is first priority, then county and then the rest municipalities. So, we get the leftover breadcrumbs, so to speak, or whatever salt is left," he said.
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