Local officials are preparing in advance for any possible impact of Hurricane Irene.

On Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Sunday for coastal York County. In addition to heavy rains, the weather service is predicting heavy winds.

Earlier in the afternoon, Gov. Paul LePage declared a state of emergency. The proclamation authorizes state agencies to use all available resources and personnel as necessary to cope with this emergency situation.

LePage urged all residents to take necessary steps to prepare and to heed all warnings.

“We continue to have daily updates with Maine Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. We will continue to monitor this changing situation statewide and plan for all possible emergencies,” he said.

Saco Police Chief Bradley Paul said in a written statement that city officials have been closely monitoring weather reports and will increase staffing levels significantly to deal with downed trees and power lines, and the public works and parks and recreation departments are prepared to keep roads passable for emergency response vehicles.

“Extensive power outages are likely, and residents should have a small supply of flashlights, batteries, water and other essentials collected before the storm to minimize unnecessary travel during the time the storm is expected to hit,” said Paul.

It’s not known at this time whether coastal residents will have to be evacuated, but Paul advised people in coastal areas of the city to make tentative plans ahead of time to stay with relatives to reduce the uncertainty for families, and to limit the number of people who may have to be evacuated by public safety authorities. Paul said the city has made arrangements to utilize any of the local school buses if necessary.

Old Orchard Beach Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director John Glass said in a written statement that loose articles around homes such as lawn chairs should be placed in garages and sheds.

Glass said local campgrounds should advise campers about the possibility of evacuations and consider using community buildings as temporary shelters for their patrons.

York County Emergency Management Director Kimberley White-Kaiser said Friday that officials were determining which emergency shelters would open, if necessary. She said if people need information regarding emergency shelters, they should call 211. She said though evacuations are not mandatory, people who are able, should leave coastal regions Saturday.

The Maine Marine Patrol Thursday advised all those with boats along the coast to secure them.

John Ellis, who runs Captain John’s Charters, said on Friday he won’t be running any tours this weekend. Ellis said he wasn’t sure what the weekend would bring.

“It’s so unpredictable,” he said.

Ellis said his tour boat, the Island Prince, was tied down at Marston’s Marina on the Saco River, and his other two boats were secure as well. He said that observing what was going on around the waterfront, people are generally being proactive, securing their boats and getting lobster traps out of water.

Tom Depeter, director of operations for Central Maine Power company, said the company is in close communication with state and local emergency management officials.

“We’ve put our own people on notice, and we’ve contacted utility companies and contractors in Maine, in other states, and in Canada to make sure we can bring in extra crews if we need their assistance,” said Depeter.

To report a power outage, call 1-800-696-1000.

Steve Sylven, spokesman for Shaw’s Supermarkets, said there has been an increase of sales of certain items in areas along the expected path of the hurricane.

“We’ve certainly seen an increase of demand in times you’d expect,” such as water, bread, non-perishables and ice, he said.

“The region is certainly taking the threat seriously,” said Sylven, and Shaw’s is doing what it can to make available the products customers want.

All coastal Maine state parks and some inland state parks will be closed on Sunday. Parks closed in York County include Ferry Beach in Saco, Fort McClary in Kittery and Vaughn Woods in South Berwick.

For updates on Irene and tips on how to prepare, visit www.maineprepares.com.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.