Empty shelves already seen at St. Mary's County store as residents prep for Hurricane Florence

ST. MARY'S COUNTY, Md. - Residents in St. Mary's County in Maryland are apparently preparing for Hurricane Florence as the monster storm is threatening the eastern coastline.

According to SOMDWXNEWS, residents are already reporting empty shelves at a Walmart store that had contained water and toilet paper.

Hurricane Florence has strengthened to a Category 4 storm and is expected to hit the U.S. later this week.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has declared a state of emergency to prepare for any potential flooding while also mobilizing resources to respond to areas that may be impacted by Florence.