As the sun set over the Atlantic on September 30, 2025, the island of Bermuda found itself bracing for a one-two punch from two powerful storms—Hurricane Humberto and Hurricane Imelda—each threatening to leave its own mark on the tiny British territory and the wider region. The situation, described by Bermuda’s Minister of National Security Michael Weeks as “not, I must stress, a passing squall,” had islanders and officials on high alert, with warnings of dangerous seas, hurricane-force winds, and the potential for significant disruption.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Hurricane Humberto’s outer bands began lashing Bermuda on Tuesday, September 30. At that time, Humberto was about 300 miles (485 kilometers) west of Bermuda, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph) and moving north-northwest at 18 mph (30 kph). Once a fearsome Category 4 storm just a day earlier, Humberto had begun to lose strength rapidly, and forecasters predicted it would dissipate by Wednesday morning, October 1. Still, the storm’s path was expected to take it well west and north of Bermuda, sparing the island a direct hit but not the effects of its rough surf and heavy rainfall.
But Humberto was only the first act. Hot on its heels was Hurricane Imelda, which had formed as a tropical storm in the western Atlantic on Sunday, September 28. By early Tuesday, Imelda had strengthened into the Atlantic season’s fourth hurricane, with its center located about 565 miles west-southwest of Bermuda and maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. The NHC forecasted that Imelda would approach Bermuda on Wednesday afternoon, October 1, possibly passing near or over the island as a Category 2 hurricane.
Minister Weeks did not mince words at a press conference: “Imelda has the potential to damage and disrupt our island significantly.” He warned that Bermuda could experience sustained hurricane-force winds for up to six hours starting late Wednesday. The government ordered the island’s international airport, schools, and government offices to close on Wednesday, urging residents to complete all storm preparations by noon that day. “I cannot overstate the seriousness of this threat,” Weeks emphasized, according to Associated Press reporting.
For Bermuda, a wealthy territory with robust concrete infrastructure, hurricanes are not unfamiliar, but the prospect of two storms in quick succession—described by AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva as “a double whammy for Bermuda”—was enough to rattle even seasoned locals. The Bermuda Weather Service projected that Humberto would drop up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain, while Imelda could bring as much as 4 inches (10 centimeters), raising the risk of flash flooding and dangerous storm surges. The NHC warned that a “dangerous storm surge is also expected to produce coastal flooding in Bermuda in areas of onshore winds,” with large and damaging waves accompanying the surge.
But Bermuda was far from the only place feeling the storms’ wrath. Imelda, in particular, left a trail of destruction across the northern Caribbean in the days prior. In Cuba, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero announced that two people died in Santiago de Cuba province as a result of landslides triggered by Imelda’s heavy rains. State media identified one victim as 60-year-old Luis Mario Pérez Coiterio. Flooding and landslides cut off 17 communities in that province, affecting more than 24,000 people, according to the official newspaper Granma. In neighboring Guantánamo province, more than 18,000 people were evacuated, as reported by the state-run Caribe television channel.
Haiti, too, suffered under Imelda’s downpours. The country’s Civil Protection Agency reported that one woman was missing after attempting to cross a swollen river, and two others were injured. Flooding impacted some 35 communities, compounding the misery in a nation where more than half the population was already expected to face severe hunger through the first half of the year. Imelda’s impact on agriculture was particularly devastating, with significant crop destruction reported.
The Bahamas, still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, also faced flooding as Imelda swept through. On Monday, September 29, New Providence was hit hard, prompting the closure of more than a dozen public schools on that island, as well as on Grand Bahama and Abaco. “The aftermath is serious,” said Prime Minister Philip Davis. “Floodwaters remain.” Flights to and from the islands were canceled, with airports expected to reopen only after weather conditions improved. A tropical storm warning for the northwestern Bahamas was canceled by Monday night, but not before Imelda had dropped 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain across the region, according to NHC forecasts.
Meanwhile, the United States’ East Coast was not spared from the storms’ indirect effects. Dangerous swells and rip currents, generated by both Humberto and Imelda, were reported from Florida to New Jersey. DaSilva, the AccuWeather expert, cautioned that “both storms churning through the Atlantic are producing dangerous rip currents and rough surf. Beaches from Florida to New Jersey may have hazardous conditions through the weekend.” In the Carolinas, Imelda’s moisture was forecast to bring heavy rain and wind gusts up to 40 mph, especially along the coastline. South Carolina’s Governor Henry McMaster prepositioned search and rescue crews, while North Carolina’s Governor Josh Stein declared a state of emergency before Imelda even formed. On Tybee Island, Georgia, authorities distributed free sandbags to residents. Even in Florida, the effects were felt—rough surf washed ashore sea turtle hatchlings in Juno Beach, prompting rescue efforts by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
Forecasters also discussed the rare but fascinating possibility of the Fujiwhara effect—a phenomenon where two cyclones rotate around a common center and potentially merge. While there was a small chance that Imelda and Humberto could interact in this way, the NHC noted it was not considered likely in this case. Instead, the two storms seemed destined to pass in close proximity, each leaving its own signature on the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
Speaking of the season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted an above-normal year, with 13 to 18 named storms, five to nine hurricanes, and two to five major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). Imelda, the ninth named storm, and Humberto, which had reached Category 5 on Saturday before weakening, underscored the accuracy—and gravity—of that forecast.
As Bermuda hunkered down, the island’s resilience and preparedness were once again put to the test. Yet, as Michael Weeks reminded residents, preparation remained their best defense: “Every household in Bermuda should take the necessary steps to be prepared.” For now, the Atlantic’s fury had not abated—and neither had the vigilance of those in its path.