As they waited for Hurricane Ian to make landfall, Lake County residents were bracing for the worst and hoping for the best. Whether braving long lines at the gas pumps, grabbing the last pack of water at the grocery store, or stocking up on beer and bananas, everyone was getting ready to weather the storm.

Felecia Croson Kyle said: “I was just saying that no one really teaches us how to prepare. It's either, ‘Oh, it's nothing,’ or panic mode."

"I've never prepped for a storm and have no idea what to do," she said. "For Irma, I panicked and used like nothing in my emergency stash. This time, I grabbed water, Chef Boyardee and doughnuts and called it a day.

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"But in all seriousness," Kyle added, "we gas at least one car in case we have to leave town and get debris from the yard, have flashlights, and either fill a tub or bucket so you can still flush toilets on a well system."

Laney Briggs' advice: Don't panic. Too many people do.

"Make sure you fill up gallon jugs with water or a bathtub with water. You can stock up on canned and dry goods like cereals. We cook everything on the grill after we lose electricity. I've even made coffee on it," Briggs said. "You get inventive. Make sure you have lots of propane if you use your grill. Also, fill up your car and have cash on hand."

Gregg Rogers reminds people that "If you lose power, it's going to be hot and miserable."

He added: "Water bottles cannot be full when placed in the freezer. The bottles help keep the freeze cold."

Heather Lee-Thomas noted that tornadoes are a big threat.

"You should get a battery-operated weather radio just in case electricity goes out, but otherwise stay indoors if you don’t have to be on the road," she said.

Betty Kees can still recall Hurricane Donna from the 1960s hitting Orlando.

"Of course, back then you didn't have a way to be informed like today," Kees said. "Today they can even tell you the number of lightning strikes and back then you could never be informed enough to be prepared like we can now."

Kellie Kees VanMeter was heartened to see that most folks she has encountered have been kind as they got prepared.

"I haven't witnessed anyone going overboard or hoarding necessary items. In other words, people seem to be taking it seriously but not freaking out about it," she said.

"I think that our chances of skating this one are nil and it seems to be worsening," VanMeter said. "I will say this, and I hate to say it out loud, but although we are forewarned, I hope this thing doesn't grow into something crazy like a hard Cat 4 or 5 and really blindside us."

Linda Walters Green had some advice for dog owners: Put a few pieces of sod in a kiddie pool and put that in the garage so the dog has a safe potty space.

"We have a well, so when power goes out, (we) can’t flush toilets," she said. "So, having a bucket that you can retrieve water from the pool to flush the toilet" is a good idea.

Also, Green said, "If you don’t have a generator, make sure your gas grill is full. You can cook and heat water for instant coffee. Typically, inland, we have tornadoes and power outages. Be prepared to be without power for a week if that happens."