Bermuda should be getting back to normal today after yesterday's close call with Hurricane Erin.

Ferries and buses will run again and schools and Government offices will be open.

There were no reports of flooding or injuries after Erin came within 100 miles of the Island but isolated power outages occurred as high winds knocked trees onto power lines. Around 100 homes were hit around the island including 90 in Spanish Point, six in Hidden Lane, Pembroke and an isolated incident in Southampton.

Belco spokeswoman Robin Sidders said: "In each case power was restored within the hour apart from Spanish Point which took 90 minutes."

Despite its increasing in strength throughout the weekend into a Category Three Hurricane, Bermuda was spared extensive damage as Erin changed its track after threatening to come within 15 miles of the Bermuda. At it's closest point of approach it was 90 nautical miles at around 8 p.m. last night.

Erin's sustained winds reached 120 mph with reported gusts of up to 54 mph and sustained winds as high as 45 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles from the centre, and tropical storm-force winds extended up to 175 miles from the centre, raising the threat of battering waves along Bermuda's coast.

Swells of 14 feet were reported 60 nautical miles southwest of the island while inside the reef, waves between seven to ten feet high merely served as a challenge to daredevil surfers.

Bermuda Weather Service Mark Guishard said: "Again we have dodged the bullet - it was not nearly as bad as Gert was."

Police had no reports of storm-induced damage other than downed branches which briefly blocked off Chapel Road in Paget yesterday.

By mid afternoon the Hurricane warning had been downgraded to a Tropical Storm warning.

However the threat brought a full response from Government.

With Bermuda fearing the worst around 90 conscripts from Bermuda's 566-strong part-time regiment were called up to man strategic points on the island such as the bridge which connects the airport to the main island.

CedarBridge Academy was opened as a refuge for those living in low-lying vulnerable areas and buses and ferries were cancelled Sunday and motorists largely heeded a warning to stay off the roads.

Acting on intelligence from Works and Engineering studies and weather reports, regiment personnel and police officers called on low lying homes deemed to be at risk from storm surges.

Several dozen homes in St. David's, St. George's, West Pembroke, Hamilton Sound, along the North Shore and some areas of Paget were targeted to advise residents to prepare to move out.

Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith said: "We go door to door warning residents that their homes might fall into these risk areas."

But he said the low level of storm surge had cut down on the work.

He said residents were advised to seek alternative accommodation or at least keep an eye on the level of storm surge.

Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox said the emergency services has responded well to what had been a close call.

Ms Cox said: "It's been gratifying the way that all the different agencies have come together.

"Everyone is relieved that it has passed so far without incident. I think we have been blessed. We've certainly been through all the hurly burly of thinking it was one thing and then finding out the storm had been upgraded."

She added: "I'm most impressed with the organisation and the level of cooperation that we had between the Government agencies and the outside ones such as Belco.

"What we had was a dry run this time and I was impressed by the level of quiet we had on the roads and we didn't have lots of spectators looking at the waves.

"What was demonstrated is the level of good will and acumen of all the government ministries."

Dolphin Quest, which lost four of their animals when Hurricane Gert's storm surge smashed its Southampton home in 1999, had no such problems this time at their Dockyard base.

Supervisor Jason Hansford-Smith said: "It's like a normal day for them. I am surprised how calm it is here even though the waves are high out in the sound. They are just having a party."