Having lived in Maine for about 13 years, I’ve seen a few “Nor’easters.” Events get cancelled. The power can go out for a few hours to a few days, depending on where you live, and the snowplows make up most of the traffic that passes by.

Residents know that they may have to wait a day or two until they can dig their way out. Those who are in the path of the storm usually stock up on bread, milk and eggs. It’s noticeable when you’re at the store. The supply on the shelves goes low.

When I first saw the canned vegetable and soup aisle at the grocery store here in South Ogden, I didn’t know what people were thinking. There were only a few dozen items left.

In other aisles: toilet paper — none; tissues — none; bread — gone off the shelves. I thought I missed a message from public officials to stock up on supplies for three months.

Over a week later, there was still no toilet paper. Tissues, paper towels and napkins were in short supply. The canned soups and vegetable aisles did get restocked, but not to full capacity.

I noticed people at the store did practice social distancing. I didn’t have anyone come within several feet of me during my brief time at the grocery store. For most of the time I was there, people averaged a 12-foot distance between one another. In fact, every place I went, people kept their distance.

In the first week of March, I went fishing at Causey Reservoir by Camp Browning BSA. I counted eight other people besides myself, and everyone was spaced out no less than 25 feet apart.

Three weeks later, I had the whole fork by Camp Browning to myself. Usually, one can find about a dozen or more people at that end of the reservoir on a sunny Sunday afternoon. However, people did return to partake in outdoor activities.

Weber State University has gone quiet. Parking lots for commuter students are empty.

All buildings on the main campus are closed, and classes were made available online for the rest of the semester. Graduation is postponed.

Criseld Ruiz was on campus taking photos at the WSU Wildcat Boulder.

“It’s a little funny how this semester is working out, and it’s disappointing about graduation being canceled,” Ruiz said.

In addition to graduation, all upcoming events at WSU were canceled — and they were canceled just about everywhere else, too.

Stay-at-home orders combined with social distancing have separated people, and most people are practicing steering clear of others until officials give the all-clear.

Perhaps there is a good side to this, and that is more quality family time.

There was a good side to the Nor’easters in Maine. Usually, residents stayed indoors for a few days. They may have caught a little “cabin fever.” Nine months later, the maternity wards at the hospitals had an increase in admissions — snowstorm babies.

The situation we are in is serious, and people should stay home and practice social distancing.