All it took was social media pictures out of New Orleans to get Teche Area residents mobilized for Tropical Storm Barry.

The four cashier lanes at the Bi-Lo Supermarket in New Iberia were all stacked three or four customers deep Thursday afternoon as residents finished up their preparations for the storm, which is expected to make landfall early Saturday morning.

“It’s been like this for two days,” said one store employee. “People are stocking up on everything.”

Although bottled water was in high demand, staples like bread and toilet paper were making their way out of the store in record volumes as well.

“This is my third trip,” Jeanerette resident Cynthia Muffoletto said. “Hopefully I am finished. I forgot my phone with the shopping list on one trip, so I had to come back again.”

Residents are not the only ones finishing up preparations. In Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary parishes voluntary evacuation orders went into effect for low-lying areas. In Iberia, areas south of U.S. Highway 90 are listed in the order, while in St. Mary Parish the order affects residents south of the Intracoastal Canal. The St. Martin Parish applies to lower St. Martin Parish.

All three parishes also are making sandbags available for residents. While most locations require residents to bag their own sand, volunteers were making the rounds to help get their neighbors prepared.

About 50 New Iberia Senior HIgh students spent Thursday morning loading sandbags for the community in Rynella, Bel Air and Lydia at Iberia Parish distribution points. NISH principal Curt Landry said he sent out a group text to all athletes, club members and band members asking for volunteers to help fill and distribute sandbags in anticipation of the weather.

“We go throughout the community asking for donations for our programs and this was a way that we could give back to the community for all the support it gives to us,” Landry said. “I’m not sure of the total number but we filled about 1,500 sandbags for those who needed them but couldn’t come out to fill them.”

Those sandbags could be the difference between some homes surviving the storm and becoming inundated with floodwaters. As of Thursday evening, Iberia Parish is forecast to receive between 10 and 15 inches of rain between tonight and Sunday morning, with the possibility of higher amounts in some locations. Residents can expect winds between 58 mph and 84 mph starting later today and continuing into the evening and storm surge depths of up to 3 feet above ground level below U.S. Highway 90 and Louisiana Highway 14.

That is all before landfall. Barry is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before coming ashore early Saturday. The forecast track from the National Hurricane Center showed that landfall happening near the St. Mary/Iberia parish line, just west of Morgan City.

As of Thursday evening, a hurricane warning was in effect for Vermilion, Iberia and St. Mary parishes, with a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch in effect for Cameron Parish.

A flash flood watch was still underway for Avoyelles, St. Landry, Lafayette, St. Martin, Vermilion, Iberia, and St. Mary parishes. A storm surge watch was in effect for Vermilion, Iberia, and St. Mary parishes.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has already declared a state of emergency, as has Iberia Parish President Larry Richard. State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning, along with Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, have issued a statewide cease and desist order for all private burning. Burning shall only be allowed by permission of the local fire department or local government from 10 a.m. today until rescinded.

Sandbag distribution points in the Teche Area:

In Franklin:

Franklin Public Works Complex, 1300 Iberia Street.

In Iberia Parish:

B.O.M Fire Station

Grand Marais Fire Station

Coteau Fire Station

Rynella Fire Station

Delcambre City Hall

Loreauville Park

Lydia Fire Station

Jeanerette City Barn

Jeanerette Fire Station (Church Street/Bourgeois Drive, behind the station)

District 11 Four Corners Central Fire Station, 1205 Big Four Corners Road

In New Iberia:

Acadian Ballpark, 401 N. Landry Drive

In St. Martin Parish:

Ruth Bridge, 1035 Ruth Bridge Hwy.

Cecilia/Paul Angelle Park, 2458 Cecilia Senior High School Highway

South Barn, 1011 Capritto 40 Arpent Road

In St. Martinville:

City Barn, 600 W. Bridge Street

Old WalMart Parking Lot, 2310 North Main Street

Office of Emergency Preparedness contacts

In Iberia Parish:

• (337) 369-4427

• www.iberiaparishgovernment.com

In St. Martin Parish:

• (337) 394-2800

• www.stmartinohsep.org

In St. Mary Parish:

• (337) 828-4100 Ext 135

• www.stmaryohsep.org

Department of Insurance storm tips:

• Check up on your insurance coverages. Named storm and hurricane deductibles typically run two to five percent of the insured property value. If a home has an insured value of $200,000 with a five percent hurricane deductible, the policyholder would pay $10,000 out of pocket before insurance coverage took effect.

• Update your home inventory. You can use your phone to take pictures or video of the items in your home. Having a record of your possessions will make the claims process easier in the event of property damage or loss. Include identifying information such as brand name and serial number.

• Have copies of your policies and your agent’s contact information ready to go. In case of an emergency evacuation, you will want to have copies of your family’s essential documents and your agent’s contact information to enable you to start the claims process as soon as possible.