Bermuda braces as Hurricane Fabian closes in

RESIDENTS in Bermuda battened down and cruise ships scrambled out to sea yesterday as powerful Hurricane Fabian headed toward the mid-Atlantic island with 120mph winds.

Forecasters also raised storm warnings for parts of Florida as a tropical weather system that could become Tropical Storm Henri headed for the Sunshine State.

In Bermuda, residents hit the hardware stores, supermarkets and gas stations to stock up for what emergency officials said could be the strongest hurricane ever to hit the British colony of 62,000 people. Fabian was expected to be near Bermuda by this evening.