I dunno. I've noticed that myself down here. There's another thread about how it's psychologically healthy to prepare. I wonder if the water buying is sort of like that. They know they should do something, and buying water is an easy way to do something. They'll use it anyway, they may even drink it already, and it's cheap and easy to aquire.

Everytime I see it, I keep thinking of the "King of the Hill" episode where Hank runs in to a Mega-Lo-Mart to buy a fuel filter during a storm. Everyone is panic buying. Someone sees Hank grab 12 fuel filters ('cause you can't buy just one). "What's a fuel filter????" "I don't know! But I need one too! Hey! He's buying all the fuel filters!!". <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I think anti gouging laws are dumb for just this reason. If the store owner was allowed to raise the price of water according to demand, water wouldn't run out so quick. Yes, it'd be a lot more expensive, but if you really, really needed it, it'd be available. Not hoarded in someone's garage.