Government Warns: Hurricane on Path to Hit

Government just released a statement evening [Sept 15] urging residents to prepare as “Hurricane Igor is on path to hit Island” and that “Residents are advised to take the warnings seriously as the Island has not experienced such an intense storm since Hurricane Fabian hit Bermuda in 2003.”

Fabian remains the largest disaster to have struck Bermuda in recent history, smashing through the island causing hundreds of millions dollars worth of damage, and taking four lives.

They continue on to say that that by 6 pm Sunday Bermuda will likely be experiencing hurricane force winds which will continue through the night. Seas inside the reef are expected to rise 9 – 12 feet and outside the reef, there will be waves of 20 – 30 feet.

The statement also said that Government Ministries, the Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service and the Bermuda Police Service are all in a state of readiness for Hurricane Igor.

The statement follows in full below:

Residents Urged to Prepare – Hurricane Igor is on path to hit Island

The Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) met today and has this evening urged the Island’s residents to begin hurricane preparations by securing their properties and stocking up on hurricane supplies as Hurricane Igor – a very big and intense storm – is expected to hit Bermuda over the weekend.

The Island can expect tropical storm force winds sometime around midnight Saturday and even worse conditions late Sunday around midnight when the current forecast is for a direct hit. Residents are advised to take the warnings seriously as the Island has not experienced such an intense storm since Hurricane Fabian hit Bermuda in 2003.

By 3p.m. on Sunday, 50 knot east to south east winds are expected and winds will continue to increase and reach sustained hurricane force by 6 p.m. Sunday and continue through the night. If the island sustains a direct hit as is the current forecast, it also means 90-knot sustained winds with gusts above 115 knots (132mph); coastline areas can expect storm surges of 5 – 7 feet above normal tide levels; seas inside the reef are expected to rise 9 – 12 feet and outside the reef, there will be waves of 20 – 30 feet. The hurricane is also expected to drop as much as five inches of rain on the Island. ”

The EMO confirmed that Government Ministries, the Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service and the Bermuda Police Service are all in a state of readiness for the hurricane. Scheduled airline flights to and from this Island over the weekend will be affected by the weather and airline passengers should check with their respective airlines.

Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Housing, Senator the Hon. Lt. Col. David A. Burch, OBE (Mil), ED JP said the EMO is monitoring the weather conditions. Further advisories will be issued by the EMO. “The Bermuda Weather Service will provide updates as required and I strongly encourage everyone to prepare” the Minister said. “In fact you should be getting prepared now – if you wait until Saturday evening, it will be too late.”

Minister Burch stressed that the safety of everyone on the Island is the number one priority and he discouraged persons from passing on rumours of information that has not officially been released by the EMO. “The EMO is the official voice of the hurricane,” the Minister added. “If it didn’t come from the EMO, it is probably incorrect information.”

For more information on Hurricane Igor, residents can tune in to or log on to the following:

Ø Hurricane preparedness: www.emo.gov.bm OR www.emobermuda.com
Ø FaceBook updates: DCI_Dept. of Communication and Information
Ø Online weather updates: www.weather.bm
Ø Televised weather updates: CableVision Ch. 4 and WOW Ch. 100
Ø For The Public Forecast: Dial 977
Ø For The Current Observation: Dial 9771
Ø For The Marine Forecast Dial: 9772
Ø For Latest Warnings & Tropical Information: Dial 9773

Below is the full 36-page Emergency Plan from the EMO, click Full Screen for greater clarity:

#BermudaGovernment #HurricaneIgor #Weather

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