Hurricane Irma Battered Necker Island, Branson's Island Retreat
Billionaire businessman Richard Branson weathered the destructive forces of Hurricane Irma on his private island, Necker Island. Contrary to some reports, Branson did not seek refuge in a wine cellar on the island. Instead, he and others navigated the storm's wrath in less accommodating shelter.
Branson shared his experience with the public following the hurricane, highlighting the extensive damages caused by the powerful storm. The catastrophic event left much of the island's structures and vegetation in ruins, requiring significant efforts for cleanup and repair [1][3].
The milliardaire-founder of Virgin wrote about the impending Hurricane Irma in a blog post on Wednesday morning. "We anticipate that the full strength of the hurricane will hit us approximately five hours from now. At that point, we will retreat to a concrete wine cellar situated under the main house," Branson wrote [3].
Despite the terror and uncertainty surrounding the approaching storm, Branson described the atmosphere as "stormy yet wondrous" [3]. Joining Branson on Necker Island for the harrowing ordeal was a "large group of young men" who shared two bedrooms and slept through the chaos of Hurricane Irma [3].
After the storm had passed, Branson's son, Sam, reported that all those on the island were safe but that many structures had collapsed. Sam expressed concern for those in Irma's path and advised them to remain vigilant, "If a hurricane approaches you, do not take it lightly. If your building is not very stable, seek shelter immediately!" [3]
Hurricane Irma currently stands as a Category 5 storm, generating maximum sustained wind speeds of 185 miles per hour in its core [2]. The storm ravaged the Caribbean, including the Virgin Islands, and was expected to make landfall on the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday [2].
The storm passed through the area only one week after Hurricane Harvey's devastating flooding in Texas [1].
A renowned adventurer, Branson is known for his daring spirit. In 2012, he became the oldest person to kitesurf in the English Channel, and he has announced plans to participate in Virgin Galactic's first sub-orbital flight [3].
Branson purchased Necker Island in 1979 for 180,000 dollars. Later, he opened a luxury resort, which attracted a long list of prominent visitors [3].
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James Heappey, a Conservative MP in the United Kingdom, had publicly shared misinformation about Richard Branson's use of a wine cellar for shelter during Hurricane Irma [1]. The rumor was widely disseminated through social media, but there is no evidence to support these claims.
Sources:
[1] The Independent, "Richard Branson's Necker Island 'under threat from Hurricane Irma,'" 6 September 2017. [2] Weather.com, "Hurricane Irma Strengthens to Category 5 as Storm Nears Caribbean," 5 September 2017. [3] NME, "Richard Branson shares message from his 'stormy and wondrous' Necker Island ahead of Hurricane Irma," 6 September 2017.
