With Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall somewhere along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Oct. 9, some Punta Gorda hotels stopped taking reservations, flight disruptions are expected and residents and business owners spent Oct. 7 prepping.

Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor suspended all hotel operations, effective Oct. 8, to ensure the safety of guests and employees. Officials expect it to resume limited hotel operations Oct. 11.

The Wyvern Hotel in Punta Gorda, across the bridge from Sunseeker, is not taking new reservations and will close Oct. 8 and reopen Oct. 12, front desk receptionist Mia Blackwood said.

For those wanting to fly into or out of Punta Gorda, Sarasota or St. Petersburg/Clearwater airports, Allegiant Air announced in a recorded message from its Las Vegas headquarters that passengers should expect flight disruptions beginning Oct. 7.

All Publix stores in the hurricane zone are open, and at least one Punta Gorda store has plenty of water. Staff said they are waiting to hear from corporate headquarters as to when Publix stores in the storm zone will close, but Oct. 7, most, if not all, were operating at normal hours.

For those wanting to buy gasoline, it was a different matter.

On his Facebook page, Pastor Michael Loomis of the New Life Church in Punta Gorda posted that he visited three gas stations Oct. 6.

There are three Circle Ks in Punta Gorda, and the one at the corner of U.S. 41 and Aqui Esta has gas, but a worker said that could change as there are constant lines of people filling up.

Calls to the Circle K on Marlympia Way weren’t answered. The location at 11161 U.S. 41 was out of gas.

Since gasoline trucks will be delivering new supplies, the situation could change.

Just as downtown businesses were cleaning up after Hurricane Helene’s storm surge Oct. 7, many were making plans to close again ahead of Hurricane Milton.

“We’re going to close today,” said Max Doyle, co-owner Celtic Ray Public House. He wanted to give staff and patrons time to evacuate.

Shortly after 11 a.m. Oct. 7, there were some diehard Ray fans enjoying perhaps their last beverage at the pub for at least the next few days. It has survived many hurricanes and storms over the years, and was recently flooded by Helene, which destroyed the downstairs inside portion of the pub.

While the outside bar and seating area remained open after Helene, the Doyles were preparing to have the inside portion gutted and rebuilt. Food trucks have been parking in the lot next door as their kitchen was also destroyed from the flood.

“We get flooded even when it’s not a hurricane,” Doyle said.