Bermuda will stand firm in the face of the hurricane threat, Acting Premier Ewart Brown said today.

He said the Island was no stranger to hurricanes having endured Hurricane Emily nearly 20 years ago and 2003?s Hurricane Fabian which killed four and did around $500 million in damage. He said: ?Following each of these disasters we came together as one to assist in rebuilding our communities.

?It is my genuine belief that should we sustain serious damage in the wake of this storm we will rally together once again to ensure that our Island is up and running as swiftly as possible.?

Once the storm was over he said people would want to check friends and family but he urged people to refrain from driving about to explore damage as roads needed to be clear for emergency teams.

?We have travelled this path before, with Hurricane Fabian. That event made us all pause and reflect on how fragile life is and most importantly that during such times of crisis, we must remain unified. In this spirit of unity I ask you to be mindful of your neighbour and look out for one another.?

Asked if the airport would fare better than in Hurricane Fabian Dr. Brown said: ?I am confident the work that has been done will result in less damage than occurred in Hurricane Fabian when seawater flooded the terminal.

?If you remember the surge came right into the departure area and wiped out ticket counters.

?We lost millions of dollars in computer equipment.?

He said the airport had been shored up yesterday.