Cyclone Ernesto caused power outages, uprooted trees and flooded parts of Bermuda, but the worst for the British Atlantic archipelago was averted, local officials said Saturday as they made a first assessment of the damage.

Weakened to a Category 1 hurricane (on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale), Ernesto battered Bermuda with strong winds and 10m waves, leaving 71% of residents without power.

“I am pleased to report that there were no calls for assistance due to a major incident or property damage. The calls we received in the last six hours were mostly about flooding,” disaster management chief Lyndon Raynor said in a video message.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) reported that Hurricane Ernesto was moving north-northeast and was about 1,000 kilometers off the coast of North Carolina. On Monday, it is forecast to approach Newfoundland in Canada.

Maximum winds are expected to reach about 70 mph (120 km/h) for the next 48 hours, but will weaken after that, according to the NWS.