Although people across Mississippi are waiting in gas lines forhours to pay $3 a gallon or more as fears set in about dwindlingsupplies, Gov. Haley Barbour said Thursday that ”a verysignificant supply of fuel” has been brought into the state.

And the state had identified two more supplies that could bebrought in, the governor said. He said people should not panicabout a fuel shortage.

Brookhaven and Lincoln County officials sought today also soughtto assure residents about the availability of gasoline in thearea.

Police Chief Pap Henderson said he knew of at least 13 stationswith gasoline as of last night. He said the biggest problems isrestoring electricity to stations that have gasoline already intheir tanks.

“There’s too much gas in Brookhaven for people to be worriedabout running out of gas,” Henderson said this morning during adaily briefing for emergency officials.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department Investigator DustinBairfield, who has been working to secure gasoline and diesel foremergency vehicles, agreed. He said out-of-town residents concernedabout gas shortages and people filling up small tanks were addingto difficulties.

“There’s going to be plenty of gas flowing here,” Barfield said.”They need to quit filling up everything.”

Other officials expressed confidence about the availability offuel for emergency vehicles and about plans to get essentialservices employees to work. Through an agreement to the BrookhavenSchool District, details of a bus route through the county totransport employees were being finalized this morning.

The Brookhaven area is not alone in its desire for fuel.

The entire state of Mississippi is hurting. Even to its northernborders, growing numbers of local residents and stranded evacueeswaited in long lines – sometimes for hours – to pay upward of $3 agallon for gasoline. Many station owners stretched yellow tapeacross the pumps when supplies ran dry, then turned away lines ofmotorists stretching back blocks.

The Mississippi Attorney General’s office is investigatingcomplaints of gas selling for as much as $6 a gallon in three orfour places in the state, Assistant Attorney General Jacob Ray saidThursday. He did not say where those places were.

Gas lines were more than a quarter-mile long at some stations incentral Mississippi.

In the Jackson suburb of Ridgeland, Shundra Mack waited in linealmost two hours outside Mac’s Gas. The station limited customersto a $20 purchase. The line was so long that those at the backcouldn’t even see the station.

”It’s a disaster. It’s like real chaos,” said Mack, 31. ”Iwant someone to pinch me. I want wake up.”

Ray said with some refineries shut down because of Katrina, $3 agallon ”was not an outrageous price.”

Mississippi Development Authority spokesman Scott Hamilton saidstate officials believe the gasoline situation is temporary.

”As fuel distribution develops the next few days, this shouldimprove,” Hamilton said. ”The flow of gasoline and more gasstations getting electricity should improve the situation.”

Ray also said the attorney general’s office is investigatingcomplaints about ice being sold for $10 a bag.

DAILY LEADER News Editor Matthew Coleman and AssociatedPress Writer Emily Wagster Pettus contributed to thisreport.