A Manhattan bank temporarily ran out of $100 bills on Thursday as wealthy customers sought to withdraw large sums of cash as Wall Street suffered its biggest drop in more than 30 years.

Frantic clientele at a Bank of America branch on ritzy Park Avenue requested to retrieve tens of thousands of dollars to stockpile, which accounted for the shortage.

Two people who witnessed the rush told The New York Times that several people withdrew as much as $50,000.

On Thursday, the S&P 500 dropped more than nine percent - the largest percentage drop since the 'Black Monday' crash of 1987.

The fall was attributed to the worsening coronavirus crisis, however the markets largely bounced back on Friday after the Trump Administration announced new measures to fight the pandemic.

Frantic clientele at a Bank of America branch in the heart in Manhattan requested to retrieve tens of thousands of dollars in cash, creating a shortage of $100 bills at the branch on Thursday

The Bank of America at 52nd Street and Park Avenue (pictured) experienced the run on $100 bills

A spokesperson for Bank of America said there was only a run on large bills, and customers were able to withdraw smaller notes, including $20 and $50 bills, as normal.

'We don't keep large amounts of cash in big bills in the branches because it's dangerous for our employees and there is low demand,' they stated.

$100 bills were replenished at the branch by Friday.

The cash grab appears limited to wealthy New Yorkers with stocks, as the Federal Reserve told The Times that overall demand 'has been within fairly normal levels'.

The publication reports that an extra $4 billion in cash was withdrawn by anxious Americans following the terror attack on September 11, 2001.

However, nearly two decades on, consumers are less likely to make payments in cash, instead using debit cards and smartphones to complete transactions.

Traders are pictured at work during the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. Markets largely bounced back follow a spectacular drop on Thursday

But while banks may be coping with demands, grocery stores have experienced shortages as nervous customers stockpile supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday, a gaggle of major grocery store chains revealed plans to close early in order to restock and clean stores.

Chains such as Publix, Giant, Harris Teeter and Wegmans are all scaling back hours, while retail titan Walmart has admitted it is evaluating whether to close 24-hour stores at night during the crisis.

Across the country, desperate scenes have played out as shoppers prepare to quarantine, whether via a period of self-isolation or possible containment measures imposed by authorities.

Experts say that supply chains are robust, and there is little to no chance of a food shortage in the U.S.

Shoppers line up to enter a Costco warehouse store in Alexandria, Virginia on Saturday. A a gaggle of major grocery store chains revealed plans to close early in order to restock and clean

But grocery stores have struggled to keep up with demand, hiring more workers and doubling deliveries as items fly off the shelves in the virus frenzy.

In response, grocery chain Publix, which has more than 1,200 stores in southern states, will begin closing two hours early, at 8pm, every day.

The Giant Company, which has nearly 200 stores across the mid-Atlantic, announced Saturday that its 24-hour locations would start closing at midnight and reopening at 6 am ET the following day.

In the Northeast, Wegmans is also ending 24-hour service, to allow the stores to be cleaned and items to be restocked, the supermarket chain announced Friday.

Walmart said on March 10 that it was 'evaluating whether to modify store hours at some 24-hour facilities to allow for additional cleaning.'

Costco customers wait in the rain to enter the store on Saturday in San Leandro, California