Southwest Floridians are getting some time Tuesday to make final preparations for Hurricane Milton.
But some people are frustrated by lack of gas, and by lack of knowledge over what to bring to an emergency shelter.
Carol and Dave Kosloske of North Fort Myers said they've been looking for gas since Sunday, and still haven't found enough for their needs. They said they refuse to wait two hours in line, and on Tuesday morning, they said many places now are out of gas.
Carol Kosloske said after 15 hurricane seasons in Lee County, they're trying to sell their home.
"That's one of the reasons," she said of storm threats. "We want to go back to Wisconsin."
Dave Kosloske said he dreads storm preparation, not to mention the storms themselves.
"It's this horrendous hunt for gas," Kosloske said. "And then find gas for the generator. It's nuts. I don't like these storms. If it was up to me I'd get the hell out of Florida."
Sisters Mary DeJoseph and Julie Dapice, who live together, also are frustrated and frightened. They said they checked into the shelter at Dunbar High School in Fort Myers, but later checked out.
"We've never been to a shelter before and didn't realize they have no cots or mats or chairs," DeJoseph said. "We can't sit on the floor. If we sit down we can't get back up! We have to leave. I am not sure where to go. Don't know what to do."
People staying at emergency shelters usually have to bring their own bedding and chairs.
DeJoseph's sister Julie said they probably will just go back to their manufactured home. Julie Dapice said it does have a new roof to replace the one Hurricane Ian tore off two years ago.
"it's frightening and scary," Dapice said. "We can't wait until it's over with."
Others who checked in at the Dunbar shelter were more pleased.
The Castro family of Fort Myers arrived Tuesday morning. The parents have four children, one of them 8 months old. The parents do not speak a lot of English, according to their teenage son, Henry. He explained that the family is a little worried about the storm, and the parents decided it was best to come to a shelter for safety.
Eula Herring of Fort Myers also stopped by the shelter. She inquired about staying there later Tuesday afternoon. First, she said, she had some plywood to put on a rental property.
"I'm praying that I'm going to be alright," she said. "Because I'm not in this by myself."
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News. He also teaches journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University.