BERMUDA: Bermudans prepare for severe winds and storm surge as Hurricane Igor is forecasted to hit the island

Record ID: 751487

  • Title: BERMUDA: Bermudans prepare for severe winds and storm surge as Hurricane Igor is forecasted to hit the island
  • Date: 17th September 2010
  • Summary: HAMILTON, BERMUDA (SEPTEMBER 16, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PALM TREES BLOWING IN THE BREEZE PEOPLE DRIVING MOPEDS ON DOWNTOWN HAMILTON STREET VARIOUS OF FLAGS BLOWING IN THE BREEZE MAN WEARING BERMUDA SHORTS WAITING TO CROSS THE STREET AND PEOPLE WALKING PAST HOMES ON HILLSIDE AND SAILBOATS ON WATER (SOUNDBITE) (English) BERMUDA RESIDENT, MATTHEW LEWIS, SAYING: "When you see a storm that large, you do tend to get a bit daunted, to say the least, because we've got nowhere to run to. So yeah, it does get a little bit scary." MATTHEW LEWIS GETTING ON MOPED AND RIDING AWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) BERMUDA RESIDENT, JACQUELINE PERINCHIEF, SAYING: "It doesn't worry me. I'm sure…It looks like it is going to be a direct hit and at the moment it's still Category 4. And having experienced a Category 5 hurricane, Category 4 doesn't have me trembling in my boots." CRUISE SHIP AT DOCK FLAGS ON CRUISE SHIP WATER LAPPING AGAINST SEA WALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) BERMUDA TOURIST, JANET BORLAND, SAYING: "I hope it veers east as much as it can, but I don't think it's going to. But I just hope it's not too bad. And we'll be long gone. They're not going to leave us here." VARIOUS OF WORKERS TAKING SCAFFOLDING DOWN (SOUNDBITE) (English) BERMUDA RESIDENT, KATRINA SIMONS, SAYING "You know, the past three or four hurricanes were supposed to hit us, right? And they've taken a curve in another direction. So now that I see this one is coming, I'm a bit nervous and I actually printed off my hurricane list today to see what supplies I need to get and things like that, so I'm actually on my way to do those things now. Hopefully there are some supplies left." DOWNTOWN HAMILTON
  • Embargoed: 2nd October 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bermuda
  • Country: Bermuda
  • Topics: Weather
  • Reuters ID: LVA4E98V4H8JAOJ3S3Z4PN66SYYV
  • Story Text: Under a clear, sunny sky, Bermudans prepared on Thursday (September 16) for severe winds, lashing rain and a powerful storm surge as Hurricane Igor continued on a track towards the island.
    Loading shopping bags onto his moped in downtown Hamilton, Matthew Lewis said he will board up the windows of his hillside home and remove any items from his garden that could become projectiles in hurricane-force wind.
    "When you see a storm that large, you do tend to get a bit daunted, to say the least, because we've got nowhere to run to. So yeah, it does get a little bit scary," he said.
    Igor churned across the Atlantic Ocean on a track that was expected to bring it close to Bermuda late on Sunday and early on Monday.
    Workers removed scaffolding piece by piece from the side of a building where construction was still underway, because it could damage the building or be swept away in the wind.
    Igor was 910 miles (1,465 km) south southeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph), making it a dangerous Category 4 storm.
    Jacqueline Perinchief, who grew up in Bermuda, was confident she could weather the storm.
    "It doesn't worry me. I'm sure…It looks like it is going to be a direct hit and at the moment it's still Category 4. And having experienced a Category 5 hurricane, Category 4 doesn't have me trembling in my boots," Perinchief said.
    Local forecasters in Bermuda said the Atlantic island should prepare for a "virtual direct hit" from Igor, which was expected to pass less than 50 miles (80 km) east of the island as a Category 2 hurricane on Sunday.
    Cruise ships docked along the town's main street shopped along the main street before they would depart slightly ahead of schedule on Friday.
    "I hope it veers east as much as it can, but I don't think it's going to. But I just hope it's not too bad. And we'll be long gone. They're not going to leave us here," passenger Janet Borland said.
    Bermuda's government said the territory had not been threatened by such a severe hurricane since Hurricane Fabian in 2003, which killed four people and caused millions of dollars worth of damage.
    Southampton resident Katrina Simons said she would buy items on her "hurricane list", including flash lights, candles and canned food.
    "The past three or four hurricanes were supposed to hit us, right? And they've taken a curve in another direction. So now that I see this one is coming, I'm a bit nervous and I actually printed off my hurricane list today to see what supplies I need to get…I'm actually on my way to do those things now. Hopefully there are some supplies left," Simons said.
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