Y2K Preparedness — December 1999

WALNUT COVE, N.C. — As the final days of 1999 ticked down, the Smith family of Walnut Cove, N.C., spent last weekend filling their pantry with canned beans, soups, and vegetables — a ritual many across the country have undertaken in anticipation of potential Y2K computer disruptions. "We just want to be ready," said Karen Smith, mother of three. The family's efforts mirrored a nationwide trend of stocking up on essentials, from bottled water to flashlights, amid widespread concerns that computer systems might fail at the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31, 1999. "It's probably overblown," admitted John Smith. "But I'd rather have the food and not need it than need it and not have it." As the new millennium approaches, the Smiths plan to ring in the year with their neighbors, their pantry stocked, and their sense of humor intact.