Derrek Vaughn | The Valdosta Daily TimesLowndes County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter and Valdosta Mayor John Gayle hold a press conference Thursday to discuss the enacting of all emergency ordinances in preparation for Hurricane Irma.

VALDOSTA – City and Lowndes County governments enacted emergency ordinances Thursday due to the pending threat of Hurricane Irma.

The declaration states Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency activates both the emergency operations plan and ordinance 04-1265, which prohibits the overcharging for goods, materials, services and housing during an emergency, better known as “price gouging.”

While some prices could increase based on supply and demand, price gouging is when prices are raised above the legally allowed margin solely because of an emergency, according to officials.

Since the beginning of the week, Lowndes County has observed a shortage of gasoline, bottled water and other supplies while Florida residents make their way north to escape Hurricane Irma.

“With I-75 coming out of the middle of Florida, there is certainly going to be a lot of traffic coming up,” Lowndes County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter said during a press conference Thursday. “It’s going to be extremely important to protect those evacuating (from price gouging). They’re going to be needing to buy gas and food.”

Slaughter said while protecting evacuees from price gouging is important, it’s also vital to ensure the local community is protected.

“Hotels are booked and emergency shelters are on standby,” Valdosta Mayor John Gayle said. “We have to make sure our citizens here are taken care of. Valdosta is making sure all our departments are on standby in case they are needed and water levels are being lowered.”

Any reports of possible price gouging can be directed to the Valdosta City Police Department or Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, officials said.

As for city and county residents, Slaughter and Gayle agreed that staying calm is the best option.

“Trust the Emergency Management Agency in Lowndes County to make sure all the needs are going to be met. Don’t panic as the weather moves in closer to us. Be patient. Be understanding. Resources are limited but we are all working hard to make sure the needs of our citizens are met,” Slaughter said.

“If and when the storm hits, stay put,” Gayle said. 

Desiree Carver is Lifestyles Editor at the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be reached at (229) 375-5777.