Category 5 Storm Hurricane Irma 'Potentially Catastrophic'

As Florida gears up for a potential impact of Hurricane Irma, the National Hurricane Center stated on Wednesday morning that the hurricane will have "potentially catastrophic" effects in the Caribbean.

"Preparations should be rushed to completion," for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, warned the Hurricane Center in its 2 A.M. Wednesday advisory discussion.

Yesterday, Florida Governor Rick Scott directed all 7,000 Florida National Guard members to report for duty this Friday. This followed his declaration of a state of emergency on across the whole state of Florida on Tuesday.

"We must do all we can to prepare our families and communities for any potential impact from this major weather event," said Gov. Scott in a Tuesday release.

"Weather can change in an instant and while we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst."

The storm, now making landfall in the Caribbean, is forecast to approach the Florida coastline over the weekend. It has already made records as the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic outside of the Gulf of Mexico and Carribean Sea.