Hurricane Irma is stronger than the last eight storms combined and has already sustained 185mph winds for more than 24 hours – to set the scene, scientists think the max speed for a hurricane is 190mph.
Not only that, but it’s not alone – Hurricane Jose and Hurricane Katia are also nearby – but is that enough to budge Sir Richard Branson off his private island ? Absolutely not.
The business mogul has hunkered down in the aptly named British Virgin Islands in his wine cellar with staff and seems to honestly be living his best life.
The sleepover with his staff seems worlds away from the year 9 sleep away camps we went on, and that’s before they took themselves down to be surrounded by wine.
“We are expecting to get the full force of the hurricane in around five hours’ time, when we will retreat to a concrete wine cellar under the Great House. Knowing our wonderful team as I do, I suspect there will be little wine left in the cellar when we all emerge,” he wrote on his blog.
This will be Branson’s third hurricane on Necker over the past 30 years, but his first Category 5.
“On Necker Island we have constructed really strong buildings (with hurricane blinds) that should be able to handle extreme weather pretty well, though with a Category 5 hurricane almost nothing can withstand it.”
He also urged islanders not to shrug off the impending hurricane as they have in the past, encouraging them to seek shelter in community centres.
“In the past, many British Virgin Islanders have shrugged off hurricanes, stayed at home and not gone to shelters.
“This time the BVI Government and the BVI Tourist board have been very active and providing advice to the local population.”
Hurricane Irma has already left two dead and two seriously injured, with the NHC warning the “potentially catastrophic” hurricane will bring “life-threatening wind, storm surge and rainfall hazards” to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
