Hurricanes and tropical storms have had a major impact on Bermuda. Indeed it was a storm that led to the colonisation of the island by Sir George Somers and the crew of the Sea Venture in 1609 (see history of Bermuda).
Historically Bermuda has been affected by a hurricane every 2 years, though usually the damage and disruption is minimal. Over the year islanders have learnt to deal with them quite successfully. The early settlers built using wood and soon discovered this wasn’t suitable. All buildings are now constructed using stone or concrete (see architecture).
Historically a devastating storm hits the island every 7 years. Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, though in recent years the island has only been affected in September and October.
Since 2000, only Fabian in 2003 caused significant damage. Destructive hurricanes prior to this included Emily in 1987 and Arlene in 1963.
Recent Hurricanes
The table below shows all the hurricanes that have affected Bermuda since 2000.
| Date | Hurricane | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| September 16 2000 | Florence | Came within 70 miles of the island. Caused only high winds. No damage. |
| September 9 2001 | Erin | Closest point was around 100 miles from the island. No damage. |
| October 11 2001 | Karen | Caused minor damage. Only developed into a hurricane after passing Bermuda. |
| September 30 2002 | Kyle | Closest point was 100 nautical miles from Bermuda. Little effect on island. |
| September 5 2003 | Fabian | Peak wind speak of 164 mph, average 120 mph. Damage to infrastructure estimated at $300 million. Causeway destroyed. 4 deaths. 25,000 homes left without power. |
| September 26 2003 | Juan | Came within 140 miles of Bermuda. Only effect was high winds. No damage. |
| September 8 2005 | Nate | Category 1 hurricane. Closest point was 150 miles from the island. No damage. Island was only affected by high winds and heavy showers. |
| October 25 2005 | Wilma | Closest point of approach was around 350 miles from the island. Island affected by tropical storm force winds. Hardly any damage. |
| September 11 2006 | Florence | Eye passes 50 miles to the west of Bermuda. 90 mph winds knock out power at 25,000 homes. Little permanent damage. |
| August 22 2009 | Bill | Missed Bermuda by 195 nautical miles. No damage or injuries. |
| September 20 2010 | Igor | Sustained winds of 90 mph. Little damage. Downed trees cut off power to 27,000 residents. |