THOMASVILLE — Local stores were out of bottled water Wednesday morning. At least two Thomasville gasoline stations were out of fuel Tuesday night.

Local residents are purchasing gasoline in the event they need to leave ahead of Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 hurricane packing 185 mile per hour wind, said Chris Jones, Thomas County Emergency Management Agency director.

Gasoline stations know how much fuel they normally sell and supplies deplete quickly when sales increase appreciably.

“We’re only a couple of days being out of fuel every day,” the EMA director said.

Residents are filling gasoline cans and topping off tanks.

Jones said residents should be sure they have a family plan in place if the storm moves this way. The directive applies to emergency services workers, as well.

“People in emergency services can’t concentrate on work if they are worried about their families,” Jones said.

A three-day water supply of water and non-perishable food is recommended, along with a seven-day supply of prescription medication. Preparations also should include flashlights and a first-aid kit.

Water can be put in containers and frozen for later use, if necessary, Jones said.

Irma appears to be headed on the path Hurricane Matthew took in October 2016 — skirting the U.S. East Coast, Jones said, but the community must be prepared if the storm turns westward as it moves through North and Central Florida.

He advises residents to video belongings for later use in the event of a flood or evacuation.

“A rain event can get out of control,” said Lisa Griffis, deputy emergency management director. “It doesn’t have to be a hurricane.”

“Now’s the time to plan, because there’s another storm right behind this one,” Jones said, referring to Hurricane Jose, which is brewing in the Atlantic Ocean. “ .. If the public is better prepared to take care themselves, we’re better prepared.”

Thomas County will not not open shelters to house Florida storm refugees. Jones said Florida schools are built to a wind standard that is not required in Georgia. If a storm-related flood forces people from their homes, a shelter would open here.

Pointing out hurricane-ravaged Houston, Texas, Irma, Jose and wildfires in California, Jones said preparation is mandatory to prevent further disaster.

Local emergency personnel responded to Hurricane Matthew last year, Jones said, adding that they will respond in Georgia, Florida or the Carolinas if needed in Irma’s wake.

Storm updates are on Thomas County Emergency Management Agency’s Facebook page.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820