Kmart, Sears stores stock emergency supplies ahead of 'Frankenstorm'

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – Sears Holdings said it was “rushing” emergency supplies to stores on the East Coast ahead of Hurricane Sandy.

The company, which operates the Sears and Kmart chains, said it would stock up on portable generators, chainsaws, gasoline cans, flashlights and other equipment at stores from North Carolina to Maine.

Sandy, though a nominally low-category hurricane, has the potential to produce up to a foot of rain and storm surges up to 11 feet, according to weather forecasts, and it is predicted to become particularly dangerous as it is expected to converge with a storm system known as a mid-latitude trough some time on Monday.