Hurricane Imelda swirls away from Bermuda after battering the tiny island

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The core of Hurricane Imelda was moving past Bermuda early Thursday as weather conditions were expected to improve around the tiny British territory that reported major power outages and downed trees — but no injuries.

A tropical storm warning remained in effect after the Category 2 storm swiped the island and then lost strength.

“With this unsettled weather, we’re asking that people still remain sheltered and stay safe,” said National Security Minister Michael Weeks.

He said crews were just starting to fan out across the island to assess damage.

The storm was located about 230 miles (370 kilometers) east of Bermuda and moving east-northeast at 30 mph (48 kph). Maximum sustained winds fell to 80 mph (130 kph) as the storm weakened from Category 2 to Category 1 strength.

Imelda was expected to drop between 2 and 4 inches (5 and 10 centimeters) of rain and produce a dangerous storm surge that could cause coastal flooding. More than 17,000 customers were without power Thursday.

Bermuda had closed schools, offices and the airport Wednesday as it deployed 100 soldiers to secure infrastructure, clear roads and help at emergency shelters. Schools and government offices remained closed on Thursday.

Earlier in the week, Imelda battered the northern Caribbean. It unleashed widespread flooding in eastern Cuba, where two people died, and in Haiti, where one person was missing and two others were injured.

Hurricane Humberto, which had been racing ahead of Imelda, dissipated Wednesday after passing west of Bermuda on Tuesday. Its remnants were named Storm Amy by U.K. forecasters, who warned it would affect much of Ireland and the U.K. starting Friday.

Both weather systems were generating dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents affecting beaches along the north Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda and much of the U.S. East Coast.

While the Atlantic hurricane season is winding down, forecasters urged people to remain alert.

“We expect atmospheric conditions that could support tropical storms and hurricanes well into late October and November this year,” said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert.

Imelda was the Atlantic season’s fourth hurricane this year.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted an above-normal season with 13 to 18 named storms. Of those, five to nine were forecast to become hurricanes, including two to five major hurricanes, which pack winds of 111 mph (178 kph) or greater.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.