AP, Bermuda :
Hurricane Gonzalo crushed trees, flattened power lines and damaged Bermuda’s main hospital during an hours-long battering, but the tiny, wealthy British territory suffered no deaths.
The storm’s center crossed over Bermuda Friday night and Gonzalo quickly moved northward over the Atlantic on a track that could take it just off the shore of Newfoundland in Canada.
“This was a dangerous hurricane, but Bermuda today is dealing with property damage, blocked roads and a loss of electricity, all things that can be replaced and restored,” said Premier Michael Dunkley. “Thankfully, there has been no loss of life.”
He said the US, the United Kingdom and others have offered assistance.
The hospital, which suffered a damaged roof, was still operating, and bulldozers were clearing trees from roads as crews worked to restore power to some 24,000 homes.
Maria Frith, who owns Grape Bay Cottages on Bermuda’s south coast, said in a phone interview that the hurricane woke her up Saturday before dawn when it tore the patio roof off her house.
“To be perfectly honest with you, I was terrified, partly because of the noise,” she said. “It was really scary.”
Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva said many roads were impassible and urged people to stay home, warning on the island’s Emergency Broadcast Station that motorists would be turned back.
“Unless it’s a life or death emergency – checking on your boat is not an emergency – we won’t let you pass,” he said.
Gonzalo approached Bermuda as a Category 3 storm then weakened to Category 2 strength just before coming ashore with sustained winds of 110mph (175kph).
