Hurricanes and tropical storms have always had an impact on Bermuda, literally shaping the landscape with their destructive force and ultimately leading to the colonisation of the Island in 1609.

But how many destructive hurricanes have affected the island since then and is there some way to predict when the next big one will hit?

Studies conducted by the Bermuda Weather Service found that from 1609 to the present day, devastating storms affect the Island every six to seven years.

The island’s tropical cyclone season is from May through November, with an average of one storm passing within 180 nautical miles of the Island every year.

Even though accuracy in the forecasting of tropical storms has increased in recent years, the Bermuda Weather Service reinforces the need for greater public awareness of, and preparedness for, the potentially devastating effects of a direct hit by a major hurricane - a Category Three or above.

A storm of this intensity has not directly affected the Island for decades.

Emily <$>was only a Category One Hurricane when it passed swiftly over the Island in 1987.

In the early hours of September 25, 1987, she hit Bermuda with wind gusts recorded up to 125 mph, catching many off guard as she was expected to miss the Island.

Small, but vicious and spawning several tornadoes, Emily caused widespread chaos and damage — mostly to cars and boats, though houses experienced severe damage during the storm’s passage as well.

St. George’s was hit hard, as was the Hamilton Princess hotel when all 80 windows shattered. More than 100 people were treated at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for broken bones from flying debris and part of the hospital’s roof was blown off.

Ultimately Emily caused $35 million in damage to the Island.

Fabia> was responsible for four deaths in Bermuda in 2003, three in the Grand Banks and one in North Carolina, as well as an estimated $300 million in damage to Bermuda’s infrastructure — including partial destruction of the Causeway for the third time since 1889.

It also left 25,000 of the Island’s 32,000 households and commercial customers without power.

It was reportedly the worst hurricane to affect the Island since 1926, when the Havana-Bermuda Hurrica$> killed 88 and caused $100 million in damage.

When this Category Four Hurricane passed directly over the Island on October 22, 1926, Bermuda Harbour Radio reported gusts of up to 143 knots.

Two British warships, the Calcutta and tValerian<$> sank and the 88 who died during this storm were all sailors and officers onboard the Valerian.

The Havana-Bermuda Hurricane was ultimately responsible for a total of 738 deaths, including 650 people in Cuba.

On August 9, 1963, Hurricane Are<$>, which had been threatening the Island for almost a week, came ashore.

In her wake she left hundreds of boats, homes and vast areas of vegetation destroyed or damaged and it was the first time in a decade that a hurricane had not veered its course away from the Island.

On September 13, 1948, a hurricane passed 50 miles to the west of the Island with 80 to 100 mph winds downing telephone lines and power.

It was followed by a direct hit less than a month later in October when sustained hurricane force winds of 110 mph were recorded.

According to the October 9,1948 editiof The Royal Gazette, the Foundation Maritime Compatug, Foundation Josephine, which pud the Leicester, a British freighter crippled in the first storm, 800 miles to safety, was piled up on the coral reefs at Ferry Point.

The West End suffered severe damage in the hurricane with the complete collapse of the north-eastern gable of Frith’s Building, which housed apartments, stores and the Mangrove Bay Bar, and the destruction of the roof and veranda of the Mangrove Bay Grocery Building.

On October 11, 2001, subtropical storm Karen and later Hurricane Karen, passed close to the West End with near to minimal Hurricane force winds of 60 to 65 knots.

The main element of the storm was surprise as it quickly evolved from an ordinary frontal low-pressure disturbance, 250 nautical miles to our south-east on the 10th. What followed was 24-hours of high winds and considerable damage to vegetation, trees and power lines, with around 22,000 of the 30,000 power subscribers without electricity by the morning of the 12th.

Since the storm evolved so quickly, wave-induced coastal erosion and damage to marine structures was quite minor, but caused a cruise ship to break free of its mooring. Karen later became a hurricane while moving away.

Information and historical records on hurricanes prior to 1895 are scarce, but there is a record dating from 1712 when the first of two severe hurricanes hit the Island on September 8.

Many of Bermuda’s historical buildings, including St. Peter’s Church in St. George’s, were damaged.

Since Bermuda’s first settlers had built almost everything out of cedar wood, including commercial buildings and churches, many were destroyed.

It was as a direct result of these hurricanes that the decision was taken to construct buildings from limestone, as opposed to wood and thus withstand hurricanes better.

New construction methods were developed to cut stone from hillsides to create solid limestone buildings of which many still exist.

Arlene hovered off the Island in 1963