Bermuda Braces for Hurricane Fabian

The latest advisory bulletin from Miami’s National Hurricane Center warns “powerful hurricane Fabian [is] taking aim at Bermuda,” and a “hurricane warning remains in effect” for the island.

“Fabian is a large and severe hurricane,” said the bulletin. It strongly advised that “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion now.” As of 2:00 A.M. AST Fabian’s center was about 265 miles (425 kms.) south of Bermuda, and it was moving northward at around 17 mph (27 kph), which is expected “to bring the core of the hurricane near or over Bermuda later today.”

The storm’s maximum sustained winds are around 125 mph (205 kph) with higher gusts, somewhat lower than earlier this week, but still strong enough to cause significant damage “Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 115 miles…185 Km… from the center,” said the NHC, and “tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 230 miles…370 Km.”

The bulletin described Fabian as “a large hurricane” and indicated that Bermuda could expect to feel its impact well before the storm center passes near the island. It warned of “rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches,” even higher in some places, and storm surges of 6 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) above normal tide levels “along with large and dangerous battering waves.”