Residents of Punta Gorda emerged after Hurricane Milton raked across Florida to find roads flooded, homes water logged and dreams dashed.

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.

Twenty years ago, a major hurricane unexpectedly slammed into Punta Gorda, catching most everyone off guard. As Milton moves into this same area, people are remembering and preparing.