If you've gone to the grocery store recently, you might have noticed some empty shelves.
The nationwide port strike is being blamed for a rush on products like toilet paper and bottled water, nightmarish reminders of the pandemic.
“People are going to be people, aren't they?” said Michael Davis, an economics professor for the SMU Cox School of Business.
Davis said the lack of essentials on shelves is not because of the dock workers' strike that's brought 14 major U.S. ports to a standstill. It's from panic-buying when consumers stock up in anticipation of a disaster.
“At the very best, I can say that it’s premature, and frankly, it's silly, because even if the strike goes on for a long time, there's going to be ways to get essentials on store shelves,” explained Davis.
Davis said companies regularly prepare for supply chain problems. And, that most essentials are already made in America.