Batten down the hatches and tie down the lawn furniture because Hurricane Fabian is churning up the waters of the Atlantic and is predicted to skim close to the Island.

Most Bermudians out on the streets of Hamilton were taking it seriously yesterday and were beginning to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their property and belongings.

According to Wayne Matthew, people should be vigilant. He said: "I'm taking this hurricane very seriously and basically I'm moving all the furniture around the house to make sure it is secure and I'm beginning to cut down some trees that could pose potential problems if they get knocked down and hit the house, I'm going home to do that now."

Akilah Mills said she had heard some talk about it but was not aware of the potential storm until this reporter asked her.

"Safety is going to be an issue but most importantly I'll be covering up my car and closing down the blinds," she said.

Not as out of the loop as some on the street was Ronald DeSilva who said he would worry about the storm tomorrow.

"People will take it seriously tomorrow when they know exactly how close it is going to come. I have to start tying things down and I'm not fortunate enough to have a pool to throw all my outdoor furniture in like most people do if they have a pool," Mr. DeSilva said.

Most people said they were beginning to tie down loose items outside but were also buying up staple necessities such as bottled water and batteries. One man said Gorham's had been packed with people buying batteries, flashlights and tarpaulin.

Gloria Malpas was among those who said she just wanted to be prepared and have all the necessities.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," said Paul Lawrence who will also be taking safety precautions and getting ready for the potential storm.

Island boat-owners are getting out to make sure their boats are safe including Stuart Kirkpatrick who said: "I'm taking the necessary measures because this does need to be taken seriously so I'm making sure my boat is tied down."

Julian Mitchell said he also had a boat and would be making sure it got tied down as he was also serious about the potential damage a storm can inflict on watercraft.

Previous storms such as Hurricane Emily were haunting the mind of Terrence Gift.

"I think people will take this storm seriously especially after Hurricane Emily and the damage it caused," said Mr. Gift.

Naomi Schofield said she was hoping for the best but also said: "It's getting a little scary now so I bought some water and getting the lawn furniture tied down."

But three young students were not as worried about the storm. Friends Sariah Wade, Kiersen Caines and Shayna Dillas said they were excited about the storm because of the possibility of not going to school on Monday.