A former Altona resident living in Miami, Florida says she's "getting out of town" before Hurricane Irma arrives.

The dangerous category 5 storm is expected to hit Florida on Saturday and could bring life-threatening flooding, flash flooding, mudslides, and storm surge. The state is expected to begin issuing mandatory evacuation orders starting Wednesday.

Terri St. Louis says she's experienced some pretty big winter blizzards in southern Manitoba, but it doesn't compare to a hurricane of this size

"When you get a strong blizzard you stay indoors, but in a category 5 hurricane here, staying indoors might not be enough to stay safe. Being from southern Manitoba I have never experienced anything like this. So, there's some trepidation as to whether I stay or do I leave, and how do you prepare for something that you have never experienced before."

St. Louis lives near the shoreline in Miami which is located in an evacuation zone, which means she must leave the area by Thursday.

"I'm planning on leaving tonight and am hitting the road going north and will try to drive as far north as possible to see if we can wait it out, and if I have to keep driving north to avoid it, then so be it."

Hurricane Irma is packing winds near 295 kilometres-per-hour and is heading towards Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba before possibly heading for Florida over the weekend.