Communities in southern Florida are preparing for the potentially catastrophic effects of Hurricane Irma as one of the most powerful storms the Atlantic has ever seen smashed its way through the Caribbean on its way towards the US coast.

As Irma travelled, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake, officials in several South Florida counties began to prepare for the potential landfall of a record-setting hurricane.

Residents in parts of the Miami metro area are under mandatory orders to leave their homes, as the storm approaches with potentially catastrophic winds.

Mayors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties issued mandatory evacuation orders starting on Thursday morning for barrier islands and low-lying mainland areas in the metro area of 6 million, where forecasters predicted the hurricane with winds of 180 mph (290 kph) could strike by early Sunday.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has urged people to evacuate if asked to do so by local officials.

After hitting the US and British Virgin Islands on Wednesday, Irma headed toward the US territory Puerto Rico, and is expected to bring with it maximum sustained winds reaching 185 miles per hour.

Before hitting those islands, the storm yielded devastating results as it slammed Barbuda before moving over Saint Martin and Anguilla. The storm has already been blamed for at least $150m (£115m) in damages in Antigua and Barbuda, which lost all contact with the outside world during the storm.

The northernmost island, Barbuda, home to roughly 1,700 people, was “totally demolished”, with 90 per cent of all dwellings there levelled, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.

“This rebuilding initiative will take years,” Mr Brown said after reviewing the damage. He added that one person was confirmed killed on Barbuda. A second storm-related fatality, that of a surfer, was reported on Barbados and the French government said at least two people were killed in Caribbean island territories of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy.

While Irma’s future path isn’t perfectly clear at this point, projections show an increasing likelihood of it hitting south-eastern Florida near Miami, and bringing potentially deadly winds to much of the southern portion of that American peninsula.

Irma is expected to continue westward over the next several days. Changing variables in the weather could also lead the hurricane to other portions of the continental United States. Depending on how the next few days shape up, the Carolinas could also see strong winds as Irma makes its way up north along the eastern seaboard.

“There is an increasing chance of seeing some impacts from Irma in the Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys later this week and this weekend,” the National Hurricane Centre said.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for all 67 of the state’s counties, eyeing what is projected to be a Category 4 hurricane if Irma makes landfall on his state.

Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Show all 45 1 /45 Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Recently planted palm trees lie strewn across the road as Hurricane Irma passes by in Miami Beach, Fla. 10 September 2017. AP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Damage outside the Mercure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures People pick up debris in Fajardo as Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Large waves produced by Hurricane Irma crash into the end of Anglins Fishing Pier in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The category 4 hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba. 10 September 2017 Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A Royal Air Force Puma has been delivered to the US Virgin Islands to assist with the humanitarian efforts post Hurricane Irma. The Puma will be delivering Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in support of the Department for International Development. Royal Air Force logisticians from RAF Brize Norton have assisted with the delivery of military personnel and aid cargo to the Caribbean to support disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Irma. RAF aircraft including, C-17 A400M and Voyager are supporting a Joint Task Force of RAF, Royal Marines, Army and RN personnel who are supporting the Department for International Development as it delivers aid to stricken Caribbean Islands. MoD Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Flamingos at Zoo Miami, are shown in a temporary enclosure in a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, 9 September 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, the cheetahs and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing. AP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Boats are seen at a marina in South Beach as Hurricane Irma arrives at south Florida, in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. 10 September 2017 Reuters Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Storm clouds are seen over Fisher Island as Hurricane Irma approaches on 9 September 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4 Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Waves crash over a seawall at the mouth of the Miami River from Biscayne Bay, Fla., as Hurricane Irma passes by. 10 September 2017 AP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Some of the damage on Saint Martin EPA/Gerben Van Es/Dutch Department of Defence Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures The skyline is seen as the outerbands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on 9 September 2017 in Miami, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4. Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A tree toped by hurricane Irma is seen on a empty street in Remedios, Cuba, 9 September 2017. Hurricane Irma reached Cuba bringing winds between 160 and 190 kilometers per hour. The hurricane has hit the north coast of the island. EPA Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures James Constantineau loads sands bags in his truck as he prepares for the approach of Hurricane Irma Saturday, 9 September 2017, in East Palatka, Fla. Gov. Rick Scott is urging anyone living in an evacuation zone in southwest Florida to leave by noon as the threat of Hurricane Irma has shifted west. AP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures The Fort Louis Marina in Marigot is seen on 8 September 2017 in Saint-Martin island, devastated by Hurricane Irma. AFP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Destruction in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures The wreckage in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane on the island of Barbuda ABS TV Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A house reduced to rubble on the island of Saint Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures General view of damage on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A damaged Casino Royale on Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma Anna Mazur/AFP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures An aerial photograph taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, the Dutch section of the Caribbean Island Gerben Van Es/AFP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Flooded houses in Gustavia on the island of Saint-Barthelemy Kevin Barrallon/AFP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures The damage on the island of Saint-Martin, a day after Hurricane Irma hit AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A man carrying an umbrella is battered by the wind in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A lone police car on patrol during the passing of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Jose Jimenez/Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Haitian people walk through the wind and rain on a beach in Cap-Haitien on September 7 as Hurricane Irma approaches Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A flooded street on the island of Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A tree collapsed on a house in Saint Martin Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A hotel in Saint Martin is gutted by floodwater during the hurricane Guadeloupe 1ère Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Cars submerged in Saint Martin Rinsy Xieng Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Debris floats amongst the floodwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Household items float down the street in Gustavia, Saint-Barthélemy Carole Greaux Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures The coast of Saint Martin is flooded as the hurricane hits the island Météo Express Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A whole street underwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A car crashes into the tree amongst the chaos in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A building on the Saint Martin seafront, destroyed by the hurricane @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A mobile home overturned at Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Palm trees bend in the wind in San Juan, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A woman runs in the rain as Hurricane Irma slammed into San Juan, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A picture taken on September 5, 2017 shows a view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, with the wind blowing ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures A man rides past a boarded up house as part of preparations ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 5, 2017, in the French overseas island of Guadeloupe Helene Valenzuela/AFP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Employees of the Mercure Hotel fill sand bags on the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, as part of the preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Irma Lionel Chamoiseau/AFP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures People in line at Costco, as they find out the store has ran out of water on September 5, 2017 in North Miami Michele Eve Sandberg/AFP Hurricane Irma – devastation caused in pictures Night view of the city of Cap-Haitien, in the north of Haiti, 240 km from Port-au-Prince, on September 5, 2017 Hector Retamal/AFP

“This storm has the potential to devastate our state, and we have to take it seriously,” Mr Scott said on Wednesday during a news briefing.

Mr Scott urged Floridians to prepare sooner rather than later, and said that markets should be restocking their shelves with vital supplies like water and non-perishables after reports surfaced indicating that shelves were empty. Mr Scott also made a call for volunteers, saying that “volunteers make a huge difference in these crises”.

“We can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life,” Mr Scott said, urging residents to leave if they can and need to. “There’s absolutely no reason for anyone not to evacuate if you have the means to do so.”

The administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) echoed that concern, saying that the storm is so strong that even the most prepared American city would encounter major damages.

“No community in America is prepared to be hit by a category four or five hurricane,” Brock Long, the Fema administrator, said on CNN. He later noted that the agency was prepared to help with any fallout from Irma, in spite of news reports that the agency was running out of money after dealing with the devastation in Houston last week.

Florida plans on asking 6,000 National Guard members to report for duty on Friday, and has already called up 1,000 members. Emergency responders will have access to at least 13 helicopters, and more than 1,000 high water tactical vehicles, Mr Scott said. Volunteers are ready with the capacity to serve as many as 35,000 meals a day following the storm.

Counties that are most likely to be hit are taking matters further.

In Miami-Dade County, Mayor Carlos Gimenez has signed a declaration of emergency, and ordered the evacuation of residents with disabilities. Depending on future forecasts, other evacuations may be ordered as well. Mr Gimenez also closed all county offices and schools.

In nearby Broward County, 43 shelters were opened that could house as many as 33,000 people starting on Thursday. In Monroe County, the home of the popular tourist destination Key West, mandatory evacuations were issued for visitors and residents.

“It looks like it could be something that will be not good. Believe me, not good,” President Donald Trump, who owns a golf resort just north of Miami, said on Wednesday in the Oval Office.

With news of the potentially catastrophic storm landfall, Floridians rushed to prepare themselves for the incoming storm, and posted pictures on social media showing long lines to fuel up vehicles, and empty shelves in markets where residents had rushed to stock up on supplies.