Major Hurricane Nicole to make rare, dangerous strike on Bermuda
By Renee Duff for AccuWeather.com
Major Hurricane Nicole will continue to lash Bermuda with destructive winds and flooding rain through Thursday.
Nicole, currently a Category 3 hurricane, made landfall over the southern part of Bermuda shortly before 11 a.m. local time. The entire eye of the hurricane will pass over the islands.
A Category 3 hurricane has sustained winds between 111 and 130 mph (179 and 209 km/h).
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During Wednesday night, Nicole attained Category 4 status. This became the first time that two Category 4 hurricanes occurred in the Atlantic basin during October. Matthew was a Category 4 hurricane but also reached Category 5 status earlier this month in the Caribbean.
While Bermuda is often affected by hurricanes each year, major hurricanes rarely pass close to the islands. According to the National Hurricane Center, only seven major hurricanes have passed within 40 nautical miles of Bermuda since records began in 1851.
Bermuda's Minister of National Security, Sen. the Hon. Jeffrey C. Baron, JP, urged Bermudians not to be complacent with this storm, according to aministerial statement on Tuesday.
Bermuda is home to about 65,000 people.
"The worst conditions are expected to last through early Thursday afternoon as Nicole makes its closest pass to the islands," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Rich Jaworski.
The northeastern quadrant, which is the most powerful and potentially most destructive part of the hurricane, will affected Bermuda during Thursday morning.
A gust to 122 mph (196 km/h) occurred on a platform at Commissioner's Point, Bermuda, during Thursday morning.
As of 11 a.m., Bermuda Electric Light Company reported that approximately 21,000 customers had lost power.
AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski expects a widespread 4 to 8 inches (100 to 200 mm) of rain across the islands, with locally higher amounts possible. Urban flooding will result.
Wind gusts near or exceeding 120 mph (193 km/h) can result in widespread power outages. Loose items should be secured to prevent them from becoming projectiles.
"A storm surge of 6-10 feet (2-3 meters) and rough waves will bring high-water levels to coastal areas through Thursday," Kottlowski stated.
The storm surge and rough waves will lead to severe beach erosion and significant coastal flooding along the southern-facing coast.
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Government schools closed at noon on Wednesday, local time, and will remain closed through Friday, while government offices closed at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday and will also remain closed through Thursday.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the EMO is strongly advising residents/motorists to stay off the roads until the all clear has been given by the relevant emergency agencies," Baron said in the statement.
The Causeway, which connects the mainland and Bermuda International Airport on St. David's Island, will close throughout the entire storm.
Conditions are forecast to improve as Nicole moves away from Bermuda into the North Atlantic on Thursday night into Friday.
Elsewhere, there are currently no imminent tropical threats in the Atlantic Basin.
Still, all interests in the Caribbean and along the U.S. Gulf and East coasts should continue to monitor the tropics over the coming weeks.
The Atlantic hurricane season does not officially end until Nov. 30.
