Bermuda withstood a direct hit from Hurricane Ernesto in the midst of a busy hurricane season, suffering widespread power outages but no major damage or loss of life.

According to the Bermuda Weather Service, tropical storm-force winds associated with the Category 1 hurricane reached the island at 1pm on August 16, with winds building until the eye of the storm hit the island at about 5.30am the next morning.

Bermuda remained in the eye of the storm for about three hours before the barrage of wind resumed.

By noon that day, 28,817 Belco customers — about 75 per cent of the total number — had lost power.

At the peak of the storm, the island recorded sustained winds of 84mph and gusts to 105mph, along with almost seven inches of rain of the course of a weekend.

However, when conditions began to clear the next day, it was discovered that the island had avoided significant damage.

While fallen tree branches and downed power lines made up the bulk of damage caused by the storm, a section of a wall on the derelict 93 Front Street was ruined and subsequently had to be torn down.

A south shore cliff face near the Bermudiana Beach Resort property was also damaged, with the Government stating that efforts were under way quickly to make repairs.

Belco crews set out to begin restoration work on August 18, before tropical storm conditions had fully subsided, and within 48 hours the number of homes without power fell below 2,000.

Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, thanked the public for their actions to both minimise the damage caused by the storm and help recovery efforts.

“We successfully weathered this storm through our preparation, resilience and unified efforts,” he said.

“By working hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm, we minimised the damage to our island, our community and each other.”

David Burt, the Premier, added: “All of those who are in our communities restoring services, you have the country’s thanks.

“Bermuda comes together in times of crisis — let us continue to support each other as we recover.”

While the 2024 hurricane season was busier than on average, with a total of 18 named storms including 11 hurricanes, the island fared better than other destinations.

Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 storm on record, hammered Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Tobago, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, resulting in fatalities, injuries and extensive infrastructural damage before striking the United States.

Hurricane Helene later struck Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm and was blamed for the deaths of more than 150 people, making it the deadliest hurricane to affect the US in almost 20 years.

The month also saw a shake-up in Cabinet as Kathy Lynn Simmons, the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Reform, and Vance Campbell, the Minister of the Cabinet Office, both tendered their resignations.

While Ms Simmons stepped down from the House of Assembly altogether, Mr Campbell subsequently defected to the One Bermuda Alliance, stating at a press conference that the Progressive Labour Party was “not fit to govern”.

Mr Campbell later said that “warring factions” had developed within the Government, a claim which Mr Burt disputed.

“In every family there are challenges, and we will work through those particular challenges,” the Premier said.

“The entire parliamentary group is united on delivering a progressive agenda. I think that is resonating with the people.”

Meanwhile, a Bermuda family were left in mourning after a tragic high-speed collision in Florida.

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Lisa Jackson and her mother, Geraldine Francis, were killed in a three-vehicle collision on the outskirts of Fort Lauderdale on August 11, while Ms Jackson’s daughter, Kumani, was left in a critical condition.

The sheriff’s office said in a statement that the family were travelling in a Durango when they were struck by a Tesla travelling at a high rate of speed.

Gavin Dorvil, 19, later pleaded not guilty to 11 charges involving the fatal crash, including two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury, three counts of aggravated fleeing and elusion, and five counts of reckless driving resulting in personal injury or property damage.

Kumani Jackson is making a slow recovery from her injuries with the assistance of family members and well-wishers within the Bermuda community.

The island was also saddened by the loss of Kenneth “Kid Brock” Bascome, a longtime politician and East End ambassador.

A former Mayor of St George and Member of Parliament for St George’s North, Mr Bascome was also a footballer who pushed in the 1990s for the Government to intervene for the island’s at-risk youth — which helped to bring the Mirrors Programme to fruition under the Progressive Labour Party.

Mr Bascome said in a 2002 interview that he viewed public office as an atonement for missteps in his youth.

He told The Royal Gazette: “When I stand up, I stand up for every young person who has made a mistake — to show them that if you stand up and get respect, the community will forgive you for your transgressions.”