Residents of Long Island are battening down their homes and stocking their shelves in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, the category four storm expected to impact The Bahamas today.

As of 9 a.m. yesterday, a hurricane watch was in effect for the islands of the Central Bahamas. This includes the islands of Long Island, Cat Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador and the Exumas.

Last year, residents of these islands expressed their fears over the short notice they had for Hurricane Joaquin.

Now, it appears that the tone has changed, and business owners such as Wandlyn Dean, a resident of southern Long Island, says she thinks that residents are more prepared.

"Last year, was a different thing altogether. We didn't see it like this. We were not hearing it like this. So this is different now. We are all prepared because we are learning about it now. We know that it's coming," she said.

Dean, who is the owner of Gordon's Convenience Store, said she has encouraged her customers to prepare. "I am well prepared. My husband was working from yesterday morning. He was trying to get the house and the shop prepared."

She explained that water and canned goods are selling quickly, but she has a sufficient stock this time around.

Dean noted that she did not change any of her prices amid the preparation rush. "Prices are still the same. I am not changing anything. Even if I can help with one or two items, I would help them," she said.

On the northern side of the island, owner of MGS Food Store Nekia Shearer said he prepared his store to withstand any coastal impact from the storm.

Speaking with Guardian Business yesterday, Shearer said scores of customers have been coming in since Saturday.

Items such as five-gallon water bottles and canned goods are high in demand. Shearer also did not increase prices. "That's too much work", he said.

Although residents are prepared, Shearer pointed out that there are still some concerns about Hurricane Matthew.

"We don't need it because we just came out of one. Some people haven't started repairs. They are looking for batteries and searchlights.

"The northern part of the island is close to the coastal line area. So what we did from Saturday was take the items from the bottom shelf and move them higher. What we couldn't, we put the majority in plastic bags. We raised the freezers on blocks. We don't know how high the water would come, but we are preparing.

"I bought 25 cases of drinking water for afterwards. You can't trust the water after. We have a lot of canned goods to hold up for another two weeks after the storm," he said.

Residents are also taking measures to prepare their homes. Treco's Meat Mart and Building Supplies assisted customers in their hardware needs, according to Jerome Treco.

He said that a lot of people have been coming in since the announcement was made.

"Everybody is ahead of the game. We have enough time right now to get everything together. I was busy from last week Wednesday," Treco said.

Xian Smith, Guardian Business Reporter

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