Earth Day: Elements of Building

Igor nears Bermuda as Category 1 hurricane

Telegraph – Herald (Dubuque) September 20, 2010 | JASON BRONIS HAMILTON, Bermuda – Fierce waves pounded Bermuda’s breakwaters and shores Sunday night, straining yacht moorings and battering oceanfront hotels as a weakened Hurricane Igor lashed the wealthy British enclave.

Bermudians battened down their homes in pelting rain to wait out Igor, which was barely a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph as it swirled close to the island after dark. The wind whipsawed trees and flagpoles in downtown Hamilton. Power failed in many spots, but there were no early reports of major damage, Earlier in the day, some storm-seasoned islanders ventured outside to gawk at the 15-foot surf or to triple-tie boat moorings even as officials warned them to stay indoors. web site category 1 hurricane

“We are urging residents to please go home and stay in until it is all over,” said government spokeswoman Beverle Lottimore.

Those who did venture outside were met with howling winds, and gusts of hurricane force were reported by midday.

Flooding was reported in low-lying areas, and streets in downtown Hamilton, the capital, were covered in several inches of water and littered with tree branches and other debris. category1hurricane.com category 1 hurricane

Igor’s eye was expected to pass over or very close to Bermuda, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. With hurricane-force winds extending up to 90 miles from the storm’s eye, even a near-miss could cause substantial damage.

The storm was expected to veer northeast – away from the United States – after passing Bermuda. But forecasters said it would continue causing high surf and strong rip currents along the U.S. eastern seaboard.

Most tourists hopped on flights home before the airport closed Saturday afternoon, but Elaine and Brian LaFleur, of New Bedford, Mass., said they actually changed the date of their flight so they would make it to Bermuda in advance of Igor. They wanted a new experience for their 28th trip to the island.

“We’ve done everything else on this island, but we’ve never experienced a hurricane,” said Elaine LaFleur, 62.

The couple’s original itinerary had the two arriving Sunday, but they flew in Friday.

Brian LeFleur, 66, said they were staying busy indoors playing games on their iPad. He had hoped to watch Sunday football but the cable television at their hotel in downtown Hamilton lost its signal.

Bermuda’s power utility reported that roughly 19,500 customers were without electricity by Sunday evening on the British territory of 68,000 inhabitants.

Some Bermudians were optimistic that the weakened Igor, which was downgraded from a Category 2 hurricane overnight, would spare the Atlantic territory serious damage.

“We prayed that the storm would be downgraded, and it looks like our prayers have been answered,” said Fred Swan, a 52-year-old teacher.

JASON BRONIS