Hurricane Sandy windsurfers: brave or stupid?

It seems not everyone in Hurricane Sandy’s path has been paying attention to the storm warnings.

A significant number of foolhardy north-easterners are apparently refusing to follow orders – and instead are doing their best to get as close as possible to the hurricane’s effects.

Whether they are hanging out on piers which are threatened with destruction, or taking photographs of towering waves, these brave souls show little regard for their personal safety.

More worryingly, some seem to be putting their children in harm’s way too, with several images of youngsters playing on the very beaches which are expected to bear the brunt of the attacks.

And the pictures also bear witness to the willingness of some to ignore evacuation orders, with natives of New York’s City Island staying put even as the storm surge reaches as far as their homes.

Hurricane Sandy has impacted the East Coast with surging waves, torrential rain and winds of up to 90 mph – leaving 1.5 million people without power.

As Hurricane Sandy slams into New Jersey, where the water has already reached five feet high, hundreds of thousands of people across Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia are without power.

Utilities company ConEd had called customers to warn it will shut off power lines across Manhattan and Brooklyn, meaning millions more will be affected. The company shut off power in 200,000 homes in the area in last year’s Hurricane Irene – but this year’s storm packs a much fiercer punch.

Sandy, which forecasters said could be the largest hurricane in U.S. history, has revealed the first signs of her monstrous power, dumping snow, breaching rivers and forcing floodwaters into towns.

During a press conference at lunchtime on Monday, Barack Obama said: “Do not delay. Don’t pause. Don’t question the instructions that are being given, because this is a serious storm and it could potentially have fatal consequences.”

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg was even more forceful, saying: “If you don’t evacuate, you are not only endangering your life, you are also endangering the lives of the first responders who are going in to rescue you.”

He was particularly insistent that thrill-seekers should not risk their lives by trying to take advantage of the record waves.

Despite the warning, one man was pictured surfing just off Coney Island in Brooklyn.

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