Premier Michael Dunkley hailed the Bermudian spirit last night saying “tremendous progress” had already been made in the huge clean-up operation after Hurricane Gonzalo.

The Category 3 hurricane barrelled into Bermuda on Friday afternoon leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. But Mr Dunkley said the true Bermudian spirit had shone through in the aftermath of Gonzalo.

He paid tribute to crews from Belco, Works & Engineering and Parks — some of whom have not had any respite since Tropical Storm Fay hit Bermuda last Saturday — for their unstinting service.

“I cannot say enough about these guys,” he added.

“They have put in a huge shift and to see how focused and determined they remain on the job is inspiring.

“We are blessed that we have such fantastic people who are so committed to getting their country back to normal.”

Mr Dunkley has spent the last two days travelling the length and breadth of the island to assess the aftermath of Gonzalo and monitor the clean-up operation.

He told The Royal Gazette: “Far too often people are negative or doubting about what goes on. But over the last few days the people I have seen have been nothing but positive.

“You cannot underestimate the strength of this hurricane or how long it lasted, but the response of the Bermudian public has been awesome.

“The greater world has been watching us and now they know why Bermuda is a leading jurisdiction for tourism and international business. A great deal of pride goes through me seeing the way Bermudians have dealt with this.”

Yesterday the huge island-wide clean-up operation continued as crews were bolstered by Regiment soldiers and sailors from HMS Argyll.

They worked around the clock to restore power, repair homes and clear fallen debris. Despite extensive damage throughout Bermuda most of the island’s roads were clear by yesterday afternoon and LF Wade International Airport had opened again. Mr Dunkley confirmed King’s Wharf in Dockyard had been damaged during the hurricane and that the National Museum’s roof had also been severely impacted by Gonzalo.

He added: “I am confident that the repair work to King’s Wharf can be done during the off season and that the rest of the cruise arrivals for this year will not be impacted.

“HMS Argyll will remain in Bermuda for the next few days providing assistance to the clean-up operation and the Regiment will continue to provide invaluable assistance. We have made tremendous progress in just a short space of time, but there is still much to do.

“Government offices will be open today so that we can get back to business. The main priority is to get power back to everyone on the island; some of these people have been without power since Tropical Storm Fay. But I know all the agencies involved in this operation are doing everything they can to get the job done.”