“I continue to urge residents to take this very strong hurricane seriously and to keep safety uppermost in our considerations,” he said.

“As we keep an eye on conditions we owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women of all agencies, public and private, who are away from their homes and families, positioned to provide emergency response and who will lead the restoration effort after the storm passes.

“I had the opportunity to visit the shelter at Cedar Bridge Academy today and found folks in good spirits and well cared for by the team there.

“In the hours ahead it will be important for everyone to remember safety first and to stay tuned to FM 100.1 or www.weather.bm for regular updates.”