If a simple stroll to your car has felt more like ice skating than walking, you’re not alone.
Ice-covered sidewalks and driveways throughout Jacksonville have created a treacherous terrain for local residents. In an effort to combat icy walkways, local residents have been buying bags of salt seemingly by the pallet.
Salt bags have been flying off the shelf so rapidly that a number of Jacksonville retailers are completely sold out.
Midland Farm and Home Supply manager Whitney Richardson says she’s never seen such a high demand for the ice-melting product.
“We get sixty-three bags on a pallet and we’ve probably sold twenty-five pallets in the last three days. They’re buying water softener salt now, we’re out of ice-melt, so they’re buying stuff you put in water-softening systems that is course enough that you can use it for sidewalks. I’m actually watching my last three bags walk out the door,” says Richardson. :
Richardson says more salt is on the way to Midlands, but for those needing a solution right away, there are several other options that can melt the ice.
“If you have pool salt that you use for a salt watering system for your pool you can use it. It’s finer but it’ll do the same thing. If you’ve got a big can of table salt – like I said it’s finer – but if you’re just wanting to (spread salt) in front of your house or a little part of your sidewalk, any sort of salt is going to melt that ice,” explains Richardson. :
Based on conversations with customers, Richardson has been told that a number of other stores around Jacksonville are out of salt.
With temperatures expected to remain below freezing, Jacksonville residents can expect similar conditions for the next several days.