Police have praised the community on staying safe as Tropical Storm Bertha pounded the Island, unlike one of their own patrol cars which got into trouble and became stuck in a flooded hole along the roadside.

The vehicle became "partially submerged in a large hole on the sidewalk", according to a Bermuda Police Service spokesman.

The incident happened on Blue Hole Hill near the former Perfume Factory on Monday evening and officers had to be extricated by their colleagues and D&J Construction.

The spokesman said: "Due to heavy rains and flooding, the edge of the roadway was not visible, resulting in the vehicle mounting the sidewalk which collapsed under the weight of the vehicle. This caused the front of the vehicle to drop about four feet in a large hole about 12 feet deep and three feet wide."

He added: "One wheel of the vehicle was still on solid ground which prevented the total submersion of the car into the hole. There was no damage to the vehicle and none of the officers received any injuries."

Last night Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said that due to the public's adherence to safety announcements and guidelines, Bertha had resulted in no major casualties.

"The Police are happy to report there were no major injuries as a result of the storm. The only thing recorded was minor fender-benders that happened as a result of debris and tree branches that became obstructions in the road," he said.

"The Bermuda Police Service would like to thank the public for their patience and cooperation during the storm. This is testament that when people do heed the warnings and advice of the essential services, together we can reduce injury and damage to property."

Bertha was officially declared the longest-lived Atlantic tropical storm in recorded history by the National Hurricane Center in Miami yesterday. With a status of more than 12.5 days as a tropical storm or greater, Bertha "eclipses the previous record of 12.25 days occurring in 1916 from Storm #2", according to the US Center.

Yesterday, Island residents mopped up and went back to work, as garbage collectors returned to the streets and Bermuda's telecommunications and energy companies sought to restore services.

Belco, which had 7,000 customers without power at the height of the storm on Monday afternoon, said just 270 clients were left without electricity on Tuesday morning. At 8 p.m. last night, there were just six homes without power. A company spokeswoman said: "We expect all to be on later tonight."

Power surges on telephone exchange equipment meanwhile, affected a third of the Island. At 10.50 p.m. the surges resulted in a "main power failure" at Bermuda Telephone Company (BTC's) Paget Telephone Exchange, causing interruptions to 22,000 business and residential lines from Smiths to Dockyard.

Last night, 2,000 customers in the West End were still without service.

A BTC spokeswoman said: "The BTC staff will work very hard through the night to get everyone back on line. There are approximately 2,500 customers in the Devonshire South and Smiths South areas, feeding directly out of the Paget Exchange, who also continue to experience a service interruption.

"We thank all our customers for their patience."

Meanwhile, garbage collectors took to the streets to catch up on suspended services. The bulk of pick-ups in the East End will be made today before garbage collection day schedule revert back to normal tomorrow.

On the beaches, it was sunbathing as usual, with lifeguard coverage resumed at Horseshoe Bay, John Smith's Bay, Clearwater Beach and Turtle Beach.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Tourism and Transport said: "Government can advise that all services affected during Tropical Storm Bertha, particularly those in the transportation sector, such as ferries and airlines, resumed their normal schedules today.

"Government wants to commend the public for adhering to the advisories which were issued throughout the storm, and for their patience in regards to the unavoidable closure of the Causeway.

"Minister of Public Safety, Senator David Burch, has commended all the members of the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) and the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) for their invaluable assistance."

Diane Gordon, executive director of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, also praised the EMO, but called for more information for businesses.

Mrs. Gordon said Bertha had produced many rumours in the workplace over 'closures' of the Causeway and public transportation, leading to confusion for many. As a result, companies needed to make better-informed decisions in terms of sending staff home.

"The Chamber has made some recommendations as to certain guidelines which should be put in place to improve the process," she said.

"In the event of another tropical storm or hurricane, businesses need guidelines on what Government is doing. Decisions need to be made earlier rather than later. Businesses were frustrated that they did not have information so they could make decisions earlier."