President Donald Trump is cautioning people in Irma's path to "get out of its way" and not worry about their possessions.
Trump says property is replaceable but lives are not, and that safety must come first.
The president commented at a weekend Cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. He posted a brief video of his remarks on Twitter.
Trump says the nation is grieving for those who've been killed by the powerful storm, which spent the week churning its way across the Caribbean, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Hurricane Irma is forecast to hit Florida's Keys and southwest coast early on Sunday.
Trump says the US is as prepared as it can be for a storm as monstrous as Irma.
