Hurricane Sandy Attracts Thrill-Seekers (VIDEO)

'We're Far Enough Away Not To Get Wet'

As Hurricane Sandy moves towards America's East Coast, so are a number of thrillseekers.

Drawn by the heavy winds, one woman assured cameras they were "far enough from the water" not to get wet.

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A surfer holds tight to his board against the strong winds and high surf of the Atlantic Ocean before the arrival of Hurricane Sandy on Sunday

It's expected New York will take a battering when Sandy, which has been labelled a 'frankenstorm' hits.

The city's Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered the evacuation of low-lying areas of New York, around 375,000 people, as well as the closure of all public transport saying the hurricane is a "serious and dangerous storm".

President Barack Obama urged Americans "to take this very seriously and follow the instructions of your state and local officials, because they are going to be providing you with the best advice in terms of how to deal with this storm over the coming days" in a separate press conference.

Hurricane Sandy is predicted to hit near New York City around 8pm US eastern time (12am GMT).

The "life-threatening" storm surge that is expected to hit the entire east coast is likely to be compounded by high tides brought about by the full moon and could be up to 11ft (3.4-metre) high.

Hurricane Sandy
Ray Smith(01 of10)
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Ray Smith surfs a wave after Hurricane Irene Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, on Long Beach Island in Long Beach Township, N.J. From North Carolina to New Jersey, Hurricane Irene, later downgraded to a tropical storm, appeared to have fallen short of the doomsday predictions, but more than 4.5 million homes and businesses along the East Coast reportedly lost power, and at least 11 deaths were blamed on the storm. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (credit:AP)
(02 of10)
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Gavin Kyrcz, 16, of Westbrook, Conn., body-surfs in the storm surge of Tropical Storm Irene in Westbrook Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham) (credit:AP)
(03 of10)
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Nancy McWilliams takes photos of her dog, Cano as he frolicks in the rough surf of the Atlantic Ocean just after Tropical Storm Irene swept through Long Island on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, in Long Beach, N.Y. Man at right is unidentified. Irene weakened to winds of 60 mph, well below the 74 mph dividing line between a hurricane and tropical storm. The system was still massive and powerful, forming a figure six that covered the Northeast. It was moving twice as fast as the day before.(AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek) (credit:AP)
New York City Prepares For Direct Hit By Hurricane Irene(04 of10)
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NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 27: Surfers head to the ocean at a beach in the Rockaways before the arrival of hurricane Irene which is expected to make landfall in New York City sometime late Saturday and early Sunday on August 27, 2011 in the Queens borough of New York. The Rockaways are under mandatory evacuation orders for later today. While Hurricane Irene lost some of its power, it is still a dangerous storm with top sustained winds of 85 mph as it begins to move up the Atlantic Seaboard. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
New York City Prepares For Direct Hit By Hurricane Irene(05 of10)
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NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 27: People surf at a beach in the Rockaways before the arrival of hurricane Irene which is expected to make landfall in New York City sometime late Saturday and early Sunday on August 27, 2011 in the Queens borough of New York. The Rockaways are under mandatory evacuation orders for later today. While Hurricane Irene lost some of its power, it is still a dangerous storm with top sustained winds of 85 mph as it begins to move up the Atlantic Seaboard. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
New York City Prepares For Direct Hit By Hurricane Irene(06 of10)
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NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 27: A surfer rides a wave at a beach in the Rockaways before the arrival of hurricane Irene which is expected to make landfall in New York City sometime late Saturday and early Sunday on August 27, 2011 in the Queens borough of New York. The Rockaways are under mandatory evacuation orders for later today. While Hurricane Irene lost some of its power, it is still a dangerous storm with top sustained winds of 85 mph as it begins to move up the Atlantic Seaboard. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(07 of10)
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A surfer holds tight to his board against the strong winds and high surf of the Atlantic Ocean before the arrival of Hurricane Sandy on Sunday, Oct., 28, 2012, in Long Beach, N.Y. Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate coastal areas Sunday as big cities and small towns across the U.S. Northeast braced for the onslaught of a superstorm threatening some 60 million people along the most heavily populated corridor in the nation. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek) (credit:AP)
Mid Atlantic Coast Prepares For Hurricanee Sandy(08 of10)
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LONG BEACH, NY - OCTOBER 28: A surfer walks to the beach as Hurricane Sandy approaches on October 28, 2012 in Long Beach, New York. The storm, which could affect tens of millions of people in the eastern third of the U.S., and has already killed 50 people in the Carribean, is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow in parts of Ohio and West Virginia. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York City will close its bus, subway and commuter rail service Sunday evening ahead of the storm. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Mid Atlantic Coast Prepares For Hurricane Sandy(09 of10)
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CAPE MAY, NJ - OCTOBER 28: A loader surfer takes advantage of the heavy surf caused by the approaching hurricane Sandy, on October 28, 2012 in Cape May, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy is expected to hit the New Jersey coastline sometime on Monday bringing heavy winds and floodwaters. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Mid Atlantic Coast Prepares For Hurricane Sandy(10 of10)
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LONG BEACH, NY - OCTOBER 28: A man surfs as Hurrican Sandy approaches on October 28, 2012 in Long Beach, New York. Sandy, which has already claimed over 50 lives in the Caribbean, is predicted to bring heavy winds and flooding to the mid-atlantic region. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)