Officially ... Irma is now the biggest and most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. This classification does not include hurricanes that have crossed the Caribbean in past decades.

Barclays is now saying that Irma has the potential to cause more financial losses in the USA than any previous storm.

Les- I'd say they are right. Finish your preparations and get the heck out of there.

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
These islands are directly on the ground track of the eye of Hurricane Irma. Therefore, they could see winds from the eye wall (clouds) in excess of 150 mph.

BAHAMAS
The Bahamas are evacuating all of their southern islands. This is the biggest evacuation they have ever done.

PUERTO RICO
These words from the Governor of Puerto Rico say it all ...

Puerto Rico's governor is warning that the effects of Hurricane Irma could be catastrophic, calling the storm more dangerous even than Hurricane Harvey, which recently devastated Houston.
Gov. Ricardo Rossello said Tuesday that the "dangerousness of this system" has never been seen in Puerto Rico.
In his words: "It is much more dangerous than Harvey. The results could be catastrophic and devastating."
Rossello says the winds of the Category 5 storm will lash Culebra island around dawn Wednesday and move to Puerto Rico shortly afterward. He says the U.S. territory's northeast coast will feel the brunt.