Bermuda woke up to a battered landscape on Thursday after Hurricane Imelda roared through as a Category 2 storm, packing winds up to 100 miles per hour that snapped power lines and flooded streets. The tiny island, no stranger to these tempests, saw thousands plunged into darkness, with emergency crews scrambling to restore electricity amid scattered debris and uprooted trees. Imelda's core passed directly over the territory early that morning, dumping heavy rain that turned roads into rivers and isolated some neighborhoods.
But the storm's fury didn't stop at Bermuda's shores. As it churned eastward, Imelda whipped up massive waves that hammered the US East Coast, from Florida up through the Carolinas. Coastal flood warnings lit up in places like North Carolina's Outer Banks, where several homes collapsed into the surging surf, forcing evacuations and beach closures. High surf advisories warned of rip currents strong enough to drag swimmers out to sea, and forecasters noted beach erosion eating away at dunes that have held for years. Indeed, the National Weather Service reported waves cresting over 10 feet in spots, a grim reminder of how these distant hurricanes can still pack a punch thousands of miles away.
Moreover, this comes hot on the heels of Hurricane Humberto, which brushed Bermuda just days earlier, leaving the island on edge for back-to-back hits. Officials there praised the quick response from residents—many hunkered down in sturdy homes built to withstand such blows—but couldn't hide the strain on resources. Temperatures hovered around 77 degrees Fahrenheit post-storm, with showers lingering, according to local weather updates. On the mainland, the flooding threat lingers too, with isolated downpours expected to exacerbate already swollen rivers.
However, as cleanup begins in Bermuda and vigilance holds along the coast, one can't help but wonder how the relentless Atlantic season will test these vulnerable spots next.