00:50 Texas, Louisiana Prepare for Beta Parts of Texas and Louisiana still recovering from Hurricane Laura are now bracing for the storm named Beta.

At a Glance American Airlines has scheduled the extra flights out of St. Maarten and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency Monday for the entire state ahead of Hurricane Irma.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló declared a state of emergency earlier on Monday.

Authorities in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico have activated the country's emergency plan and are warning residents to prepare for Irma.

With hurricane warnings and watches in effect, authorities are scrambling to be ready for first impacts.

All Monroe county Schools are closed until further notice.

Officials in the Florida Keys are set to begin mandatory evacuations for visitors on Wednesday morning ahead of rapidly approaching Hurricane Irma.

The storm, which has undergone rapid intensification in the past several days is now the strongest Atlantic hurricane in the last 10 years, a dangerous Category 5, which could have severe impacts on Caribbean island nations and possibly the United States.

States of emergency have been declared in Florida and Puerto Rico, and residents across the region are trying to stock up on food, water and other essentials.

Here are the latest preparations for the coming storm.

South Florida Residents Already Prepping for Storm

Officials in the Florida Keys have activated the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center, and have ordered mandatory evacuations for both visitors and residents ahead of Hurricane Irma. Vistors will begin evacuating at sunrise on Wednesday , the county said in a Facebook post, while schedules for resident evacuations are still being determined.

“If ever there was a storm to take seriously in the Keys , this is it,” Monroe County Emergency Management Director Martin Senterfitt told WPLG. “The sooner people leave, the better.”

Starting Wednesday, all schools in the Florida Keys will be closed until further notice , the Monroe County School District said in a statement on Tuesday.

Miami-Dade County officials are advising residents living in low-lying areas to start evacuating tomorrow .

Residents in the Miami area are already getting "jittery" ahead of the approaching storm , according to the Miami Herald; bottled water was in short supply and stores are packed with shoppers.

“It’s gonna get crazy and I’d rather get it done before there’s more people and it’s chaos,” Mike Kizek, who was buying groceries at the Publix in Morningside, told the Herald. “If I waited, then all that would be left is cans of tomato sauce.”

Even in Northwest Florida, shoppers are taking precautions.

"I have to be prepared ," Lauren Hook told WEAR. "With everything going on in Houston, with going through Ivan, I have a five-month-old at home. I feel like I have to be ready. I feel like I prepare like it's coming because probably one's going to come eventually. I'd rather be prepared. It's better safe than sorry."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said on Tuesday that he had spoken to President Trump, who "offered the full resources of the federal government as Floridians prepare for Hurricane Irma.”

Monday, Scott declared a state of emergency for every county in the state in anticipation of a possible strike from Hurricane Irma, which was upgraded to a Category 5 hurricane Tuesday morning with sustained winds of 175 mph.

In the declaration , Scott said he was instructing the director of the Division of Emergency Management to "execute the state's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and other response, recovery and mitigation plans to cope with the emergency."

"I have continued to be briefed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Hurricane Irma and current forecast models have Florida in Irma’s path – potentially impacting millions of Floridians," Scott said in a statement . "Today, given these forecasts and the intensity of this storm, I have declared a state of emergency for every county in Florida to make certain that state, federal and local governments are able to work together and make sure resources are dispersed to local communities as we get prepared for this storm."

Scott noted that while the exact path of Irma is not yet known, "in Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We cannot afford to not be prepared."

Caribbean Islands Bracing for Impacts

With hurricane warnings and watches issued for the northeastern Leeward Islands, authorities are scrambling to be ready for first impacts, which could begin by Tuesday.

"We're looking at Irma as a very significant event," Ronald Jackson, executive director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, told the AP. "I can't recall a tropical cone developing that rapidly into a major hurricane prior to arriving in the central Caribbean."

V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua announced Tuesday that the airport would close at 4:00 pm .

Additional flights have been added out of two Caribbean islands as Hurricane Irma strengthened to Category 5 on Tuesday morning.

American Airlines has scheduled the extra flights out of St. Maarten and St. Kitts and Nevis to Miami ahead of the storm, which is now the strongest hurricane to form in the Atlantic in ten years. American also announced that passengers with tickets for Tuesday or Wednesday to destinations in the path of Hurricane Irma can change their tickets without change fees .

Kenneth Mapp, the Governor of the US Virgin Islands, sent a request for an emergency declaration to the White House.

Antigua's prime minister, Gaston Browne, is urging residents to prepare for the storm by cleaning drains and removing objects that could become airborne by high winds. Meanwhile, workers began pruning trees and shrubs to reduce chances for branches to tear down power and phone lines, the AP reports.

"The passage of a hurricane is not a matter to be taken lightly, but we must not panic," Browne said in a statement.

The National Hurricane Center said Irma had maximum sustained winds of 175 mph Tuesday morning.

In the Dominican Republic, Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo said workers are clearing away road works and cleaning blockages from sewers. He noted that President Danilo Medina will lead a meeting with emergency agencies on Monday to discuss storm preparations.

Ahed Daas, owner of the Food Center in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, told Reuters that traffic at his store on Monday was about 50 percent higher than normal as people stocked up on water, canned products and batteries .

“It’s kind of dwindling down now, everybody’s pretty much stocked up,” Daas said. “You make sure you have fuel in your generator and hope it’s not that bad when it does arrive.”

Four cruise lines have been forced to change itineraries and shore excursions have been canceled due to the approach of Hurricane Irma, Cruise Critic reports.

Puerto Rico Declares State of Emergency

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló has declared a state of emergency, while eastern Caribbean islands braced for a possible hit by the Category 4 hurricane. The governor said Tuesday that he has asked President Trump to declare a federal state of emergency for the island.

Authorities in Puerto Rico have activated the in U.S. territory's emergency plan and are warning residents to prepare for the major hurricane, which could hit the island as early as Wednesday.

"We have established protocols for the safety of all," Rosselló said at a news conference Monday, adding that schools would be closed Tuesday and businesses would close Tuesday afternoon.

Led by the Puerto Rico State Agency for Emergency and Disaster Management, agencies are making funds available in advance of the storm.

(More: Latest Forecast for Hurricane Irma )

Glorimar Andújar, the secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Family Affairs, said $65 million was released for the Nutrition Assistance Program, while 5.4 million pounds of contingency food was identified for some 160,000 people.

The Puerto Rico Housing secretary, Fernando Gil, said 456 shelters with a capacity for 62,100 people have been readied and some schools have already been closed.

Officials with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority have inspected main transmission lines and trimmed trees in critical areas in an effort to reduce power outages.

"It's no secret that the infrastructure of the Puerto Rico Power Authority is deteriorated," Rossello told reporters.

The Department of Natural and Environmental Resources has activated the flood control plan and meetings between agencies are ongoing.