Video shows moment man pulls gun on fellow driver over petrol as Hurricane Irma heads for Florida

Tensions are running high in Florida as residents anxiously await the arrival of Hurricane Irma, which is expected to hit the state on Sunday.

Thousands of people are rushing to leave the state after receiving evacuation orders, scrambling to load up on fuel and supplies.

In one incident, Floridians' desperate hunt for gas turned violent. Video footage captured the dramatic moment a man pulled a gun on another driver in a heated confrontation about fuel.

The armed standoff took place a Mobil gas station in south west Miami on Wednesday (6 September), according to the Miami New Times.

The woman who filmed the argument told the newspaper she saw a man whose car was blocking the exit to the station pull a gun on another driver.

"They were fighting over some gas!" she said, adding that the standoff only lasted around a minute before the man returned the gun to the pack around his waist.

"The guy was mad and impulsive and pulled out the gun, immediately regretting it afterwards. He drove away speeding," she said.

It is unclear whether anyone reported the incident to the police.

"We haven't had any reports of fights or any serious trouble at all," Detective Argemis Colome of the Miami PD told local press. He added that despite long queues at shops and gas stations, there has been very little trouble.

Irma, which has devastated several Caribbean islands and killed at least 19 people already, is expected to bring wind speeds to the US of around 165mph (270km/h) over the weekend.

"Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States in either Florida or some of the southeastern states," said Brock Long, head of the US federal emergency agency.

"The entire south-eastern United States better wake up and pay attention," he warned.