Hurricane Gonzalo has made a direct hit on Bermuda as a strong category two storm.
Packing "damaging winds and life-threatening surges", the northern portion of the eye of the storm moved over the island at midnight on Friday to Saturday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.
The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometres per hour and was moving northeast at 26 kilometres per hour.
Gonzalo had already killed one person in the Caribbean and caused property damage on neighbouring islands before reaching Bermuda, a British overseas territory that is home to about 60,000 people.
A leading newspaper, the Royal Gazette, reported that 30,000 people were without power, even before the full fury of Gonzalo had been unleashed on the archipelago.
Residents, whipped by winds and rain earlier on Thursday as the hurricane approached, reported a strange calm as the centre of the storm passed.
"We are definitely in the eye now, it's completely quiet," said Katie Titterton via text message from an apartment building near Grape Bay in central Bermuda.
"It's pitch black outside - I can see a palm tree down but that's all. It's not nice not being able to see what's happening," she said.
"It's eerily calm," said another resident, Kevin Metschnabel, from a house in the west end of the archipelago.
"But round two is coming soon," he added.
Schools, businesses, grocery stores and government offices all closed early on Thursday, and many people boarded up windows sandbagged in preparation.
Officials in Bermuda urged residents to stay indoors and off the roads.
"I wish everyone all the best for the next 24 hours. Good luck - and look after each other," said Governor George Fergusson, the representative of the British crown in the archipelago.
The NHC said flooding was expected over much of the island.
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