BERMUDA BEARS BRUNT OF HURRICANE IGOR 20 September 2010 The storm has sent huge waves crashing over coastal defences in Bermuda.
Fierce waves and high winds from Hurricane Igor are pounding the islands of Bermuda,
causing flooding and cutting power to thousands of homes.
The storm, which is moving north-east, has been downgraded to a category one hurricane.
But officials say it could be the worst storm the British overseas territory in the Atlantic
has ever seen.
A Royal Navy warship and helicopter are standing off shore ready to help with relief efforts.
The eye of the hurricane is passing just north-west of the islands, but with winds
extending 90 miles (150 km) from the centre, substantial damage is feared.
Residents battened down their homes and property, as winds of 75 mph (120 km / h)
brought down trees and power lines.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) has described Igor as “a very large
hurricane”.
Forces mobilised Flooding was reported to be in low-lying areas late on Sunday, while streets in the
capital Hamilton were under several inches of water and littered with storm debris.
However, so far there have been no reports of anyone being injured.
Bermuda's' energy company Belco said about 16 000 of its 35 000 customers were
without power.
“Everybody just hunker down and wait until this thing is over”, a spokesman for the
island's emergency measures organization said.
Officials have warned that Igor could rival Hurricane Fabian, which claimed four lives
and caused millions of dollars of damage in 2003.
“Our country and our people have, throughout our history, rarely faced the full fury of
a storm of this magnitude”, warned Premier Ewart Brown.
“As a people we will continue to pray that once again we will be spared”.
As well as having the Royal Navy ship standing by, authorities have also mobilised the
island's forces — the Bermuda Regiment.
The storm is moving north-northeast at 14 mph (22 km / h) and is expected to move to
move away from Bermuda later on Monday, the NHC says.
Bermuda — with a population of some 67 000 — is a chain of 138 islands, many of
them small and uninhabited, spanning only 22 sq miles (57 sq km).