VIDEOS: Hurricane Irma rakes Caribbean islands on way to Fla. landfall

Reports out of Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Anguilla and St. Maarten describe pounding waves and damaging winds as Irma aims for landfall in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Irma continues to move through the Caribbean, west-northwest at about 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. She is the strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever recorded.

Mandatory evacuations are underway in the Florida Keys, and residents along the Florida coast have been standing in long lines for gasoline and supplies as the monster storm bears down.

The Associated Press is reporting that residents of the Florida Keys, famously known for riding out hurricanes, are taking careful notice of this potentially catastrophic storm, with few seemingly willing to stay this time. With the highest point in the Keys just a few feet above sea level, and the possibility of a major storm surge scouring the islands, many have decided evacuating may be the best course of action.