Bermuda begins the cleanup after Hurricane Gonzalo

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Residents on the island of Bermuda were dealt a heavy blow from hurricane Gonzalo Friday night as the category three storm packing maximum sustained winds of 115mph raked across the tiny island. There are reports of damage to homes and businesses and most of the island is now without power. Further assessment of the damage will be conducted today as conditions continue to improve.

Gonzalo will continue to race to the northeast today into cooler Atlantic waters and thus is forecast to weaken into an extra tropical area of low pressure.

The last time Bermuda was hit by a hurricane of this intensity was back in 2003 with hurricane Fabian. That hurricane brought sustained winds of up to 120 mph and a peak gust of 164 mph to Bermuda. There were four fatalities with damage over $100 million (US). As one of the strongest, costliest and the only storm to cause fatalities in Bermuda since the satellite era, the name Fabian was retired.

Along the east coast of the U.S. including North Carolina, ocean swells are expected to subside later today as the storm races northeastward into the North Atlantic.