As Hurricane Maria Looms, Areas Already Hit by Irma Prepare for the Worst

As Hurricane Maria takes aim at Puerto Rico, people in its path are being warned to "evacuate or die."

Read: Center of the Storm: Simulator Shows What Happens in a Category 5 Hurricane

Citizens of the island are bracing for a direct hit just weeks after Hurricane Irma pounded the country.

CBS News correspondent David Begnaud spoke to Inside Edition from Puerto Rico.

“The governor of Puerto Rico is going neighborhood by neighborhood, specifically asking people to get out of their homes,” he said. “It is hard to find a sense of urgency on an island but if there is a sense, it is right here in Puerto Rico.”

Maria has already left a trail of devastation on the Caribbean island of Dominica and Puerto Rico is next.

Sean Swarner, a motivational speaker, says he's planning to ride out the storm from American territory in the Caribbean.

“It's chaotic. There are so many people on the roads, you can't get even go a mile in an hour. There are so many people running to the store to get the last-minute nuts and bolts and wood to board up things,” he told Inside Edition. “When we go to bed tonight, we're going to wake up to mass chaos.”

Jennifer McCartney lives on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, an area that is also expected to be pummeled by the storm.

“The plan right now is to stay here at my house in the lower level in an enclosed cement hallway with mattresses and doors," she told Inside Edition. “St. Croix is a very resilient place. We are going to make it."

Meanwhile, a second hurricane, Jose, is churning north.

Read: Paradise Lost: Barbuda Destroyed by Hurricane Irma

The effects of the storm can already be felt on shore. Parts of the East Coast of America are already experiencing high winds and pounding waves.

British Billionaire Richard Branson is on American soil after the virtual destruction of his private paradise on Necker Island by Hurricane Irma 10 days ago.

He warns that Maria could end up destroying what Irma left behind.

“The whole country has been devastated. It's going to be a ghastly night for them,” he said.

Watch: Zoo Saves 1,500 Sea Turtles Displaced by Hurricanes Irma and Jose