Bermuda is expected to return to normal today after gale force winds took out power for thousands of homes and closed businesses, schools and Government offices.

At the height of the storm in the early hours of yesterday up to 9,000 customers were without electricity but by noon that figure at dropped to 2,000 and was ?? by last night.

Businesses were the main losers from yesterday?s winter storm as Bermudians stayed home as winds gusting up to 60 knots struck while one and a half inches of rain was dumped on the Island over 24 hours.

Chamber of Commerce president Charles Gosling said thousands of dollars of business had been lost from the day?s lay off although he had no idea of how many companies shut up shop.

He told : ?For businesses to be closed all day is going a little bit far. I think winter storms like this are not that rare.

?There was certainly the opportunity for business to be done today.?

He said there had been tremendous confusion among people about whether they should go to work and companies should set out clear procedures for employees to follow in similar situations and consult unions where relevant.

He said: ?This is something our IT department of the Chamber is pushing with the ministry of Labour and Home Affairs.?

He said the Chamber did not want to take a possible life and death decision for its members by making the call about whether to show up for work and it was up for each business to sort something out.

A statement from Public Safety Minister Randy Horton said Government had closed schools and offices out of caution while private schools and businesses had followed suit.

The decision had been taken by Emergency Measures Organisation members after a storm warning was posted at 4.30 a.m. Buses and ferries were cancelled and two wheelers banned from the Causeway and Watford Bridge.

Police and Works and Engineering conducted hourly checks on the Causeway after the bridge famously shattered taking four lives during Hurricane Fabian.

The storm is not expected to move for the next couple of days and could yet bring more strong winds but Government said yesterday that schools and offices are expected to open today.

Mr. Horton said: ?The storm is still sitting 300 miles to the east of the Island.

?We anticipate elevated winds overnight. However the the strength of those winds will not be at the same level as occurred last night when gale force winds of 40-50 knots hit our shores.?

They wreaked havoc by taking down power circuits in Crawl Hill, Harrington Sound, Mangrove Bay and Admiralty Park and blacked out power to 8,000-9,000 homes.

By noon just 2,000 customers were without power while polls down in Union Street, Pink Beach, Smith?s, Dock Hill and North Shore Road caused localised outages.

Trouble continued in the afternoon with a pole fire in Point Finger Road. Belco promised its crews would work late to try to get power restored to all.

Bermuda Fire Service spokesman Dana Lovell said his crews dealt with six pole fires, two homes with roof damage and a home in St. Monica?s Mission area which had windows blown out.

Fire crews also bailed out 300 gallons of water from the yacht which was sinking in Dockyard.

Winds gusts of more than 70mph at the Airport cancelled morning flights, blew out windows and collapsed a roof on a cargo shed. However by the afternoon flights were normal while the delayed US3000 flight from Baltimore was amalgamated with the late night flight from Newark.

Stormy seas delayed the arrival of the which could not be safely piloted into harbour on Tuesday but made it in yesterday afternoon.

Stricken motor vessel which has been sheltering 30 miles to Bermuda?s south after taking on water, was buffeted by 15-25 foot seas making it impossible for crews to repair its leaking in its bow which has dropped two metres.

A Harbour Radio spokesman said the hole, which was noticed on Friday after the 189 metre-long craft sailed from Houston, Texas to Thessalonkiki, Greece with a load of pet coke had not worsened during the enforced stopover.

The vessel is too deep to moor in Bermuda for repairs and is waiting for a break in the weather before moving on.

A 28-foot local cabin cruiser also broke its moorings in the onslaught with the owner having to save it.

Yesterday the Salvation Army appealed for homeless people to use their Marsh Lane shelter and get clothing and food from their King Street building rather than walk the streets. The charity also put on an extra soup run.

Mr. Horton said last night that all Government offices and Government schools would be open this morning. Regular bus service resumed last night and ferry service is expected to resume this morning. ?Let me reiterate how pleased I am to note how well the various arms of Government came together,? Mr. Horton said.