With the threat of a major hurricane looming, local officials and emergency response teams are taking precautionary measures and urging residents to closely monitor Gustav as it moves toward the Gulf of Mexico.

After striking Haiti as a hurricane Tuesday, Gustav was downgraded to a tropical storm, but is strengthening as it moves toward Jamaica, according to The Associated Press. It is expected to make landfall along the Gulf Coast by early next week.

 It is too soon to determine where it will make landfall once it enters the Gulf, but Anderson said the recent westward shift could bring it closer to the Teche Area than originally expected.

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“People should be preparing and making plans,” said Jim Anderson, director of the Iberia Parish Emergency Management. “They don’t have to leave yet, but they need to figure out where to go and what to bring.”

Hotel rooms in northern Louisiana are full. Evacuees looking for hotel rooms might have to travel northeast or to Arkansas, Anderson said.

New Iberia Mayor Hilda Curry said sandbags will be distributed from 4 to 6 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the city-owned storage building at 907 Fulton St.

“The city is on alert and prepared,” she said.

Louisiana State Police and 3,000 Louisiana National Guard troops have been put on standby, and residents are encouraged to visit the state’s hurricane readiness Web site, GetAGameplan.org, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Tuesday in a release.

The Web site includes lists of necessary documents and supplies to bring if evacuating, and also advises people to map out an evacuation route and an alternate route.

Before leaving, residents should bring indoors lawn furniture, trash cans and any other objects that may cause damage, and electricity and water should be turned off, according to the Web site. It also suggests making a detailed list of all household posessions with model and serial numbers included in case of damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency also has emergency and readiness information on its Web sites, www.fema.gov and www.ready.gov.

Dayna Perry, shelter director of the Iberia Humane Society, recommends that pet owners make sure pet are current and handy and current tags are on collars. If the pet requires special food or medication, Perry said those supplies should be bought in advance.

“A pet with a collar and tag is a ‘found’ pet,” she said. “The chance of reuniting goes down tremendously when there is no identification.”

Families who have people with special needs including elderly and disabled residents should take extra precautions when preparing, said Warren Hebert, CEO of the Home Care Association of Louisiana.

It is more difficult for senior citizens to travel long hours in a vehicle, Hebert said, adding that storm evacuation can cause gridlocked traffic for more than 10 hours.

If a person with special needs cannot evacuate with a family member, the person needs to be registered with local emergency authorities before the storm approaches.

Hebert recommends seniors and special needs people bring a “go” bag that includes clothing, needed medications, a list of their medications, a brief medical record, insurance information and a list of telephone numbers of family members and physicians.

Seniors who own pets should make plans at least five days in advance if possible about where the pets will go, Hebert said.

Family members should keep in mind the senior’s sense of “self-worth,” but put their safety first, Hebert said.

“We want our aging loved ones to feel like they can make their own decisions, but if their decisions put them in harm’s way, we need to consider that,” said Hebert.

In case of a mandatory evacuation, Iberia Parish President Ernest Freyou and CAO Sally Angers have named several pickup locations for residents without transportation.

Announcements will be made through local news sources with more details on pickup times.

Freyou said hurricanes Rita and Katrina showed a need for consistent re-entry criteria if parts of the parish are restricted after the storm.

The re-entry process will be broken down into three tiers based on key roles in restoring normal operations after the storm, according to a statement from Freyou’s office.

Those authorized to re-enter must have valid state drivers licenses, company-issued photo identification cards, authorized markings on vehicles and letters of access issued by the company.

Daily Iberian reporter Mary Catharine Martin contributed to this report.