Outback Steakhouse was closed Sunday in preparation for Hurricane Irma. 

VALDOSTA – The City of Valdosta recommends private businesses and organizations to cancel all non-essential services Monday, according to a City of Valdosta statement released Sunday afternoon.

By late Sunday afternoon, numerous businesses were already closed. 

Large retail stores, such as Walmart and area grocery stores, were closed by mid-afternoon Sunday. The Walmart on Inner Perimeter Road is boarded up, as is the Winn-Dixie on North Valdosta Road.

Several businesses and homeowners have placed boards over windows to hamper the possibility of breaking glass.

By 6 p.m. Sunday, pockets of businesses and restaurants were still open in areas of the city but some were preparing to close soon.