In the event of a direct hit by a major hurricane, Bermuda would be devastated, Government's Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) admitted yesterday.

But EMO members said there was a great deal of value to be placed in the fact that the Island can be ready for such a catastrophe should it occur.

They praised all the agencies involved in preparing for Hurricane Erin's brush past this weekend for a job well done.

But complaints surfaced last night that television and telephone weather updates by the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) were too infrequent and, at times, misleading.

However, BWS director Roger Williams said the service was reliant on updates from the National Hurricane Centre, who in turn got their information from hurricane hunter planes which could only complete a certain amount of flights in a given space of time.

And responding to the complaints of inaccuracies, a spokeswoman said: "As far as I know, there weren't any mistakes.

"We take all of our information from the National Hurricane Centre and, as far as I know, it was not wrong."

She continued: "We feel that all the reports we put out were detailed enough.

"As Bermuda's only weather service we try and do them to the best of our ability."

The EMO held a meeting yesterday morning to discuss what had been learned and what procedures could be changed following this weekend's close call.

"Naturally, with any experience such as this, there are lessons to be learned," said EMO member and Government Information Services Assistant Director Valerie Pethen.

She explained that warning letters would be sent to any residents who were deemed to be at risk should there be a severe storm surge.

And she said the internal operational procedures of some Government Ministries would be "refined" so that, in a call-out, only essential personnel were called upon.

Mrs. Pethen said, overall, she was pleased with the speed at which the EMO responded to the potential crisis.

But she said, while she felt this experience was "most valuable", the Island had come very close to what could have been a disaster.

"Bermuda would be devastated in a direct hit by a major hurricane.

"Preparedness is one thing but we cannot control what nature will do.

"The most we can do is be ready.

"We are vulnerable."

Mrs. Pethen stressed that the weekend's lucky break should not translate into complacency.

"We are still in hurricane season and we're definitely keeping an eye on anything else that might affect us."

In the aftermath of Erin, some concerns were raised by the public that Government should suggest the best Web sites that might be used to keep track of an approaching storm.

Mrs. Pethen said: "I don't think we'll do that.

"There's so much information out there and people have access to it.

"We don't see that as a priority."

EMO member Mr. Williams said it would have been a "major calamity" for the Island if Erin had hit.

"Its track would have only needed a change of a few degrees and the storm would have impacted the Island very severely."

Mr. Williams said Erin, which was a category three storm, would have rivalled two particularly bad hurricane hits in 1923 and in 1899, both of which caused extensive damage.

"We were very lucky this time.

"But people should be cognisant of the fact that, even though we're just a dot on the map, it will happen one day and we'll have to be prepared when it comes."

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