MIAMI — Hurricane Humberto blew off rooftops, toppled trees and knocked out power as it blew past the British Atlantic island of Bermuda. But officials said Thursday that the Category 3 storm caused no reported deaths.
“We’ve made it through and everyone is safe,” Premier David Burt said. “That’s what is most important.”
Security Minister Wayne Caines said power had been restored to most customers by midday Thursday and emergency crews were clearing roads of power lines damaged by the hurricane, which had winds of about 120 mph (195 kph) at its nearest approach to the island Wednesday night.
Caines said government offices would reopen Friday, though schools would remain closed.
“The country is getting back on its feet and the good news is there was no loss of life,” he said.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Humberto would still kick up high surf in Bermuda and along the U.S. East Coast.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph) late Thursday afternoon, with tropical storm-force winds extending outward for 380 miles (610 kilometers), covering a huge swath of ocean. The storm was centered about 550 miles (885 kilometers) northeast of Bermuda and moving to the northeast at a brisk 24 mph (39 kph).
Meanwhile, a brush with land near Puerto Vallarta knocked newly formed Hurricane Lorena back down to tropical storm force, though forecasters said it would soon become a hurricane again on a track that would carry it close to the Los Cabos resorts at the tip of the Baja California Peninsula by Friday night.
The storm’s center came onshore in darkness in the western state of Colima, whipping palm trees about with its strong winds and lashing the area with sheets of rain.
Colima state Gov. José Ignacio Peralta posted video on Twitter of a partially washed out road in the town of La Central, and another showing a landslide partially blocking a highway.
The storm flooded streets and touched off minor slides in 10 municipalities. Dozens of trees were downed and there were power outages in some areas.
Water topped the banks of an arroyo overnight and swamped some homes in the port city of Manzanillo, where 21 people sought refuge at a temporary shelter at a city school, according to the governor.
“Three rescues of people were carried out; the most important thing is that there is no loss of human life,” Peralta said.
Lorena had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) at midafternoon Thursday and it was centered about 205 miles (330 kilometers) east-southeast of Cabo San Lucas. It was moving to the northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).
Forecasters said the storm could bring 5 to 10 inches (12.5 to 25 centimeters) of rain to parts of the region. Mexican officials voiced concern that some parts of southern Mexico, which have seen a lack of rainfall, could suffer dangerous flash floods and landslides unleashed by torrential rain.
Authorities in Los Cabos said schools would be closed Friday.
Another tropical storm, Mario, was also moving north across the Pacific several hundred miles farther out to sea. It was located about 455 miles (730 kilometers) south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and had sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kilometers). It wasn’t expected to hit land, however.
In Texas and Louisiana, the remains of Tropical Depression Imelda kept bringing rains and flooding. Forecasters warned that Imelda could drop up to 35 inches (90 centimeters) of rain in some areas of Texas through Friday.
In the Texas town of Winnie, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) east of Houston, a hospital was evacuated and water was inundating several homes and businesses.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic region, Jerry strengthened into a hurricane on a track that would carry it near the northern Leeward Islands on Friday and north of Puerto Rico on Saturday.
It had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph) at midafternoon Thursday and was located about 435 miles (700 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands. It was moving to the west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).
