Richard Branson says he will be hunkering down in the wine cellar of his private island home located in the British Virgin Islands as Category 5 Hurricane Irma approaches.

The founder of Virgin Group, Branson wrote in a blog on the Virgin website Wednesday that "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."

Irma, sporting winds of 185 mph, is expected to hit the island around 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Branson wrote that he has a group of young people with him at the home.

“The atmosphere is eerie but beautiful. Everyone is willing the eye of the storm to veer away from the BVI in these last few hours. As I wrote yesterday, our main concern is safety, for everyone here and for all the people in the BVI and in the path of the hurricane,” Branson wrote.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

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