Silvio, who lives near Orlando, Fla., offers this tale of hardship in the lead-up to Irma’s expected arrival in southern Florida. He will be providing further updates on Irma as long as he still has power — and wine.

I had already pretty much completed my hurricane supply run during the Labor Day weekend, beating out the rush for batteries and the aisle-5-bottled-water riots.

But there were still a few items to fully top off my supplies, especially red wine!

So to avoid the most congested hours of the supermarket battleground, I trudged off to the Publix supermarket near my job. I arrived just before 8 a.m.

Not having to be at work until a 9 a.m. meeting, I had plenty of time. Since I could avoid the water aisle, I was also assured of not going into work with blood spattered clothes.

I instead loaded my cart with some extra canned soup, canned meats, snacks and Gatorade.

But most important, I went to the wine section and picked up some Malbec/Cabernet blended reds.

Four bottles.

I got on line to check out between some disheveled water warriors and loaded my items on the belt, still with plenty of time to get to work.

It was only 8:20 a.m.

My turn to pay. Pleasant banter with the cashier and the manager filling in for a bagging clerk.

Until my precious bottles of red rolled up.

“I’m sorry. It’s too early for these,” she said as she removed my bottles from the belt and placed them behind her, almost defensively.

“What the FUCK!?” my mind screamed.

It was clearly on my face as I turned to the manager, who calmly told me that it was before 9 and they couldn’t sell alcohol before then.

“Do you really think you are protecting me from drinking four bottles of wine before 9 a.m.?” I asked very sarcastically.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she said. “The registers won’t ring it up.”

So there I was, early bird but without my wine.