This Hurricane Matthew food sanctuary hopes to be open for Irma, but don’t expect smokes

The Piggly Wiggly at Hilton Head Island’s Coligny Plaza was the first island grocery store to reopen in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, and its owner says he hopes to be able to do the same for hungry locals following Hurricane Irma.

Owner David Martin said Thursday that he and his team are watching the storm closely and plan to make a decision on whether to evacuate this weekend.

“Ideally, we will stay so we can be open and here helping people” with recovery after the storm, he said.

Martin said even if evacuation is necessary, “I’m hoping to come back as early as possible if we do have to leave.”

In the meantime, the store is “fully stocked and ready to go,” he said.

One thing you can’t buy before or after the storm, though: cigarettes. Martin said he stopped selling tobacco earlier this year.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 9:38 AM with the headline "This Hurricane Matthew food sanctuary hopes to be open for Irma, but don’t expect smokes."