HAMILTON, Bermuda – Hurricane Bill slammed punishing waves into Bermuda's coastal seawalls as it spun Friday over the open Atlantic, spreading big swells across the Bahamas and the southeast coast of the U.S.
The Category 2 hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph 165 kph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Forecasters said the hurricane could regain intensity over the weekend as its center passes between Bermuda and the eastern U.S. seaboard.
Tourists gathered at Bermuda's pink sand beaches to watch the powerful surf. Many shrugged off the threat of the approaching storm, but it apparently cut short a beachfront vacation for U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
On the eastern U.S. coast, offshore waves of 20 feet 6 meters or more and rip currents at the beach are expected over one of the summer's last weekends. Forecasters warned boaters and swimmers from northeastern Florida to New England of incoming swells, as Bill passes far out to sea on a northward track toward Canada's Maritime Provinces.
By Friday night, the streets of Bermuda's capital were mostly empty and blanketed with rain. Luxury boutiques boarded up their windows. At the bar of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess hotel, a few guests sampled the "Dark 'n Stormy" cocktail as Bill's outer bands raked the island.
Most islanders hunkered down inside their homes. Amanda Walker, a 31-year-old waitress originally from Toronto, said she and her boyfriend had to track down her cat, Mira, before the winds got any stronger.
"We just need to lock ourselves in and hope for the best," she said.
Some roads along Bermuda's northern coast were flooded. The airport, which is accessible only by a low causeway bridge, announced it was closing Friday for the duration of the storm. All ferry service was canceled until Sunday.
Bill was forecast to bring 1 to 3 inches 2.5 to 7.5 centimeters of rain to Bermuda, with up to 5 inches 13 centimeters in some areas. Hurricane force winds extended outward up to 85 miles 140 kilometers from its center on Friday night.
Much of Bermuda, a wealthy offshore financial center, is solidly built and able to withstand rough weather. But storm tides are expected to raise water levels up to 3 feet 1 meter along the shores and battering waves could cause significant erosion. Large swells from the storm also were affecting Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Bahamas.
Despite warning signs posted at Bermuda's beaches, tourists gathered to watch waves pummel the sand and wash up to the dunes at Horseshoe Bay.
"We've never experienced a hurricane before, so it's very interesting. The children are loving it," said Kevin James, 54, a pharmaceutical company executive from London, who watched with his wife and two young children.
An Italian tourist from Turin, Mario Ferrero, was thrilled by the powerful storm.
"It's the first time I've seen something like this. I'm excited," said the 35-year-old landscape gardener.
Other tourists flew out before the storm bore down. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters the Clintons left Bermuda on Thursday night.
They arrived on Wednesday for a three- or four-day getaway. Local newspapers said they stayed at a luxury beachfront hotel, though their representatives refused to disclose any details.
Photographers spotted the former president golfing Thursday at Port Royal Golf Course, where four former Guantanamo Bay prisoners have been hired as groundskeepers following their release from the U.S. prison.
Associated Press Writer Amanda Dale in Hamilton, Bermuda, contributed to this report.
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