Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall as a major storm on Florida’s west coast Wednesday . The hurricane, which strengthened to a Category 5 in the Gulf of Mexico late Monday morning, and then reduced to a very strong Category 4 storm early Tuesday, will bring periods of intense rainfall in Volusia and Flagler counties , as much as 12-15 inches, Wednesday, as previously reported by The News-Journal.

With life-threatening storm surges predicted to rip through Florida's Gulf Coast, many west coast residents are evacuating to Florida’s east coast ahead of the storm. Locally, a substantial number of hotels across the Flagler County area have noticed an increase in room reservations over the last 48 hours, due to the approaching storm, with many fully booked until Friday.

While several hotels in Volusia County have also experienced increased bookings, others have noted a rise in cancelations ahead of the storm.

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Flagler County hotel availability

Best Western Plus Flagler Area Inn & Suites

200 Flagler Plaza Drive, Palm Coast; 386-832-8323

Best Western Plus Flagler Area Inn & Suites in Palm Coast noticed an increase in bookings over last 48 hours coming from various regions across Florida, including the west coast, according to hotel management. The hotel is fully booked Wednesday, Oct. 9, with less than 20 rooms available between Tuesday, Oct. 8, and Thursday, Oct. 10.

Fairfield Inn & Suites

400 Old Kings Road, Palm Coast; 386-445-3450

As of Monday morning, the Fairfield Inn & Suites of Palm Coast was fully booked Tuesday, Oct. 8, and Wednesday, Oct. 9, according to hotel management, with limited availability for Thursday, Oct. 10, as room reservation requests continued to pile in.

Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa

200 Ocean Crest Drive, Palm Coast; 866-841-0287

As of Monday morning, Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa had availability all week, though an increase in bookings is expected in the coming days as Florida residents continue to prepare for the storm, according to resort staff.

Hampton Inn & Suites Palm Coast

150 Flagler Plaza Drive, Palm Coast; 386-439-8999

As of Monday morning, Hampton Inn & Suites Palm Coast was fully booked Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, with very limited availability on Tuesday, Oct. 8, according to hotel staff. “Bookings are going haywire,” hotel staff noted, with a substantial increase in reservations over the last 24 hours.

Hilton Garden Inn Palm Coast

55 Town Center Blvd., Palm Coast; 386-586-2463, Hilton.com

Palm Coast’s Hilton Garden Inn has experienced a significant increase in room reservations ahead of Hurricane Milton, according to hotel management and is completely booked Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Thursday, Oct. 10. The hotel does have a generator, management noted, to power its kitchen, as well as an elevator and maintain emergency and lobby lighting.

Legacy Vacation Resorts

98 Palm Coast Resort Blvd., Palm Coast; 386-445-0637

Staff from the Legacy Vacation Resorts in Palm Coast noticed a “slight influx” in room reservations over last 48 hours, though the hotel still has room availability Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Thursday, Oct. 10.

Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham

16 Kingswood Drive, Palm Coast; 386-246-2441

Ahead of the storm, staff from Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham reported an increase in bookings at the hotel with Wednesday, Oct. 9, fully booked, while availability remains limited on Tuesday, Oct. 8, and Thursday, Oct. 10.

Palm Coast Hotel & Suites

120 Garden St. N., Palm Coast; 386-627-7734

Palm Coast Hotel & Suites has experienced a mass increase in bookings over the last 48 hours, according to hotel staff, with Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, completely sold out. There is highly limited availability for a one-night-only stay on Tuesday, Oct. 8, staff noted Monday morning.

Red Roof Inn

10 Kingswood Drive, Palm Coast; 386-446-8180

Red Roof Plus is fully booked Wednesday, Oct. 9, ahead of Hurricane Milton, with limited availability on Tuesday, Oct. 8 (30 rooms), and Thursday, Oct. 9 (25 rooms), according to hotel management Monday morning.

Volusia County hotel availability

Best Western International Speedway Hotel

2620 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach; 386-258-6333

According to front desk staff, as of Monday morning, rooms were still available Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Thursday, Oct. 10, though they seemed to be booking up fast.

Days Inn by Wyndham Daytona Beach Speedway

2904 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach; 386-675-4235

As of Monday afternoon, Daytona Beach's Days Inn by Wyndham still had 60 rooms available this week, ahead of the storm, according to front desk staff.

Fairfield Inn & Suites Daytona Beach Speedway/Airport

1820 Checkered Flag Blvd., Daytona Beach; 386-254-4700

This Daytona Beach Fairfield Inn & Suites noticed a significant increase in room reservations over the last 48 hours, according to staff, with Wednesday, Oct. 9, being fully booked as of Monday morning. There is limited room availability Tuesday, Oct. 8, and Thursday, Oct. 10.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

1571 U.S. 1, Ormond Beach; 386-777-3117

According to staff from the hotel, Ormond Beach's Holiday Inn Express & Suites noticed a significant increase in bookings over the last 48 hours, though rooms were still available Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Thursday, Oct. 10, as of Monday morning.

Holiday Inn Daytona Beach

137 Automall Circle, Daytona Beach; 386-944-5988

This local Holiday Inn is fully booked on Wednesday, Oct. 9, according to hotel staff, with limited availability Tuesday, Oct. 8, and Thursday, Oct. 10.

Springhill Suites

512 Flagler Ave., New Smyrna Beach; 386-427-0512

This New Smyrna Beach Springhill Suites, which is located on the beachside, stopped taking reservations Tuesday, according to staff, with the hotel closing Wednesday, Oct. 9. It's reopening date will depend on storm damage, staff noted.

The county is asking people who live beachside to evacuate by 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Best Western New Smyrna Beach Hotel & Suites

1401 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach; 386-426-0020

Best Western New Smyrna Beach Hotel & Suites, which is also located beachside, experienced increased cancelations as the storm approached, according to hotel management, with roughly 35% to 45% availability left this week.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Many Flagler hotels are booked as Hurricane Milton nears, Florida's west coast evacuates