Preparedness or Hoarding?

"A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane. You look down, you see everybody's got a little pile of stuff... And when you leave your house, you gotta lock it up. Wouldn't want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff. They always take the good stuff." - George Carlin

Today I'd like to include a short blog posted on http://www.newemergencypreparedness.com/

"People of this great country have been badly misinformed by the mass media about what actually constitutes “hoarding.” By preparing and stockpiling several months in advance, you do not contribute to any shortages. Supply chains are continuously replenished when there is no crisis at hand. So, by buying and storing supplies, food, ammunition, and gas well in advance, you are actually helping to alleviate the short-term supply disruption when disaster hits.
Only the people that buy a disproportionately large supply during a
crisis could be legitimately labeled as “hoarders.” People who prepare well in advance are not part of the problem but are rather part of the solution since by having extra on hand, they can dispense charitably." - Emergency Preparedness

BOTTOM LINE
Today's businesses run on a "just-in-time" model. Since it costs money to shelf extra supplies, stores stock only what they need for a normal day and rely on frequent restocking. However the system breaks down when resupply trucks can not deliver the goods due to blocked roads, etc. You saw this after hurricane Ike with gas stations in Tennessee without gas (no supply trucks from refineries along the Gulf Coast). So I completely agree with the blog post above. Stock up during good times and don't try to build a hoard when everyone is desperate for the last gallon of milk at the grocery store.