Photo: Jimmy Buffett/Instagram

jimmy-buffett-florence

AsHurricane Florencestarted to batter the North Carolina coast,Jimmy Buffettdecided there was no better time than the present to go surfing.

On Wednesday, the 71-year-old musician hit the waves on Folly Beach, South Carolina near Charleston despite many others were fleeing the area.

“I ain’t afraid of dying I got no need to explain. I feel like going surfing in this hurricane,” the Margaritaville restaurant founder captioned an Instagram photo of himself posing alongside his surfboard.

While Buffett was enjoying the storm swell and not evacuating, he warned others not to do the same. “On a serious note– respect mother nature, please be safe and listen to your local authorities,” Buffett added.

Both North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and South Carolina Henry McMaster have urged residents totake Hurricane Florence seriously and evacuate.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty

hurricane-florence-4

“We have been saying every day for almost a week that this is a historic storm and we are worried about two things. One is the ocean surge, which will contribute to river flooding, and the historic rainfall that we are about to have,” Governor Copper explained.

As of now, Hurricane Florence is a category 2 storm with wind gusts as high as 106 mph, according to theWeather Channel.

The storm is expected to attack both the Carolinas and water levels are already rising on the western side of Pamlico Sound in North Carolina.

RELATED VIDEO: Hurricane Florence Weakened but Still Expected to Be Devastating as Some Refuse to Evacuate

Flooding has also been reported in New Bern, North Carolina.

Extreme rainfall will continue throughout the weekend only to let up early next week, the Weather Channel reports.

Tom Copeland/AP/Shutterstock

9881557c

In preparation, anumber of shelters have openedacross the state.

“I hope everyone and their loved ones keep an eye on the storm’s activities and stay safe,” cast member Austen Kroll previously told PEOPLE.

“South Carolina, and Charleston specifically, is no stranger to hurricane season. I’m hoping that the damage they are predicting from Hurricane Florence’s landfall is not as devastating as expected.”

However, Patricia Altschul isstaying behind.

“Batten down the hatches,” the socialite wrote on Twitter. “House on lockdown…. shutters wired over plywood, generator inspected, pool water lowered, cars in parking garage, supplies bought, pets accounted for. Bring it on.”

source: people.com