(Walmart workers work to stock a new shipment of water as shoppers load up their carts in preparation for Hurricane Irma.)

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has declared that South Carolina is under a "State of Emergency" early Wednesday afternoon due to the slight shift of Hurricane Irma's path. First, what does "State of Emergency" even mean? A "State of Emergency" simply allows for the governor to perform actions that he would not normally be allowed to do to ensure the safety or preservation of the state in which he governs. It may allow actions like activating the national guard, the suspension of certain laws or regulations, or the allocating of funds to deploy supplies and equipment during the emergency. Meteorologists around the state expect that Hurricane Irma could very well still carry a power factor of Category 3 by the time it makes its way up coast to South Carolina. While watching the news of Hurricane Irma, many earlier predictions showed Florida taking the brunt of the storm leaving many residents of the east coast on easy. Now that things are changing many are scrambling to get last minute supplies such as groceries and gas.

(Jessica Lindley looks over a carton of eggs while buying "just in case" groceries while prepping for Hurricane Irma.)

"Yesterday we sold completely out, We didn't have any water until these three pallets came in. We have already sold 250 cases today, It's about to get crazy." said a Walmart representative while loading a shipment of Aquafina water on the shelves of the Walmart Supercenter on S. Lake Dr. in Lexington S.C. (#6). While supplies like water, milk, and bread are preparation favorites, there are other items that definitely need to be in your hurricane preparation kit. Make sure to download a reputable weather app like the app from The Weather Channel (Available For Android & IOS) which has a built in weather radar. 

Here is a list of twitter accounts that you can follow for real time updates:

Columbia, SC Weather: twitter.com/columbiascwx
Charleston, SC Weather: twitter.com/chswx
National Weather Service: twitter.com/NWS
The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore: twitter.com/JimCantore

In case of Evacuation, an interactive evacuation map by the South Carolina D.O.T can be found: HERE

HURRICANE KIT

Make sure your hurricane kit includes:

FOOD AND WATER

Pack non-perishable food for each person for 3-7 days.

HOUSE CHECKLIST

MEDICAL NEEDS

PREPARE YOUR PET

Your pet will need more than a bag of food in a storm.

(List Courtesy of http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php)

Severe weather is always scary, but the best way to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones is to be prepared. Don't wait until the last moment to go out for supplies as you may find yourself in a situation where there are none to be purchased. The price gouging law (SC §39-5-145) is in effect for the next 15 days. Price gougers can be charged for excessive pricing, a misdemeanor offense punishable with a $1,000 fine and/or 30 days in jail. If you suspect someone is price gouging, take notes of location, time, price, and take pictures if you can. Price gougers can be reported to [email protected] or call 803-737-3953.

South Carolina is a state of resilience, we have survived floods, civil unrest, a Total Solar Eclipse and unnecessarily hot and humid temperatures. As long as we respect the way of mother nature, we will get through Hurricane Irma as well if things get bad.

(Lexington residents fill up their tanks up at Murphy Express in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irma.)

(Murphy Express experienced a total gas outage on September 5, 2017 and has made emergency shipments of Unleaded Regular.) (A line of Hurricane Irma preppers leave busy Walmart and Lowe's in Lexington, South Carolina)