Date added: Tuesday September 12, 2006: 1230am EST

Florence Blasts Bermuda

Gordon Could Follow

Neither Threaten US

By HurricaneNow.com
Chief Correspondent Jeff Flock

Florence

It wasn't a direct hit. But given the size of the storm, that didn't make much difference to Bermuda. Wind gusts approached 100mph on the island but fortunately Florence remained just short of Cat 2 intensity. It did pass to the west, giving the island the most powerful side of the storm. It's now moving away from Bermuda and continuing to move away from the mainland US. It should begin to weaken shortly. Meanwhile...

Gordon

The seventh named storm of the season is expected to become the third hurricane of the year. But like Florence, the forecast track also shows a curve back to the north and east long before the US is threatened. In fact Gordon should curl back to the east of Bermuda which means it shouldn't get as big a hit. The storm is also much smaller than Florence. If Gordon makes a hurricane it will make 2006 far from a light hurricane season. It's just that nothing much has attacked the US coast.

Hurricane Target: Bermuda

Because of the way the weather patterns are lining up, Florence, Gordon and perhaps the next storm (that would be Helene) have, are or could be setting their sights on the tiny British posession in the Atlantic. Bermuda, long a vacation destination for US travellers, is a small target, but is well-prepared for hurricanes, with strict building codes and power and phone cables underground. And well it should be prepared given its vulnerability in the Atlantic and having experienced the famed Havana-Bermuda Hurricane of 1926. It was a late season storm that reached Category 4 strength. It hit Cuba at Cat 3, devastating Havana and making it one of the most deadly storms to ever hit Cuba. It weakened, passed across the Florida peninsula and then reintensified to Cat 4 and hit Bermuda dead on. 88 people were killed there. A total of 738 people lost their lives to the storm on its trek through Cuba, the Bahamas and Bermudas. The damage estimate was $1 billion current dollars.