Need last-minute hurricane supplies? See list of Publix, Walmart store closures

In a hurry? Here's what you need to know about Hurricane Milton in less than a minute . Want more details?

Florida residents are bracing for what forecasters are predicting will be catastrophic damage from Hurricane Milton.

The powerful hurricane is expected to make landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

Where exactly Milton will make landfall is still uncertain, although most forecasters are predicting somewhere close to Tampa. The National Hurricane Center said the margin of error 24 hours away is about 40 miles.

➤ Spaghetti models for Hurricane Milton

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➤ Live updates: Get the latest on Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida

Regardless of where landfall takes place, most of Florida's Peninsula will feel several impacts from the hurricane. Among the impacts is storm surge, especially on Florida's West Coast where "... some barrier islands and coastal mainland communities may experience extensive damage and may be altered permanently," said AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.

Time to prepare is coming to a close, with the National Hurricane Center using residents to finish preparations Wednesday morning, including evacuating if told to do so.

Here's what is still open or already closed. But first, here's the latest on Milton:

Watch live: Radar view of Hurricane Milton

Tropical update: Latest information on Hurricane Milton from National Hurricane Center

Spaghetti models for Hurricane Milton

Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

Is Publix still open ahead of Hurricane Milton? What Publix supermarkets are closed?

"We are closely monitoring Hurricane Milton. At this time, many stores in the storm's path have adjusted hours," Publix announced on its website.

Publix has posted a map with the latest information on what stores have already closed and hours for those in Milton's path.

The map shows Publix super markets that have closed and which stores have modified hours.

Is Walmart closed as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida landfall?

"Teams from across the company are working to support the communities we call home," Walmart posted on its website. "We're incredibly grateful to our associates on the ground preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Milton."

As of 9:30 a.m., 207 Walmart stores stretching from the west to the east coasts of Florida were closed. The online map will be updated as more store closures are announced , the company announced.

Is Waffle House really closed?

Waffle House announced Tuesday several of its restaurants are closed ahead of Hurricane Milton, especially in and around Tampa Bay. About 33 Waffle House locations are closed and 22 remained open across the state, according to the Waffle House Index posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.

"As we stated during Hurricane Helene, our mission remains to keep our associates out of harm's way," Waffle House spokesperson Njeri Boss told USA Today.

"Accordingly, in areas predicted to be hardest hit, we will preemptively close restaurants with a goal of reopening them as soon as it is safe to do so to serve the communities that have there for us over the years."

How do you measure a storm's impact on a community? The Saffir-Simpson Scale may be what first comes to mind, but there's also the " Waffle House Index ."

All Waffle House restaurants are ranked and marked with one of three different colors — green, red, or yellow to signify conditions.

"Green means the restaurant is serving a full menu, a signal that damage in an area is limited and the lights are on.  Yellow means a limited menu, indicating power from a generator, at best, and low food supplies.  Red means the restaurant is closed, a sign of severe damage in the area or unsafe conditions," the company posted on its website.

“If you get there and the Waffle House is closed?” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate has said. “That’s really bad."  That’s where you go to work.”"

The company said it "fully embraced its post-disaster business strategy after Hurricane Katrina in 2005."

Check on Florida Waffle House locations.

Get the latest on Home Depot stores in Florida

"The Home Depot has activated its emergency response command center at our Atlanta Store Support Center to support stores, associates and customers as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast," the company posted on its website.

" Stores will remain open as long as it’s safe to do so." Here's how to check the latest on stores near you.

Get the latest on Lowe's stores in Florida

We've reached out to Lowe's to find out about store closures.

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What's next?

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Amaris Encinas with USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Need last-minute hurricane supplies? See list of Publix, Walmart store closures