BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Bermuda was spared the wrath of Hurricane Rafael as it passed east of the island Tuesday night.

Rafael is expected to remain a powerful post-tropical cyclone for several days.

American Airlines, which suspended services to the island, is resuming its scheduled flights on Wednesday and other international airlines were following suit.

National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief, who is also chairman of the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO), said “thankfully, Bermuda has again fared well through a storm.

“Hurricane Rafael mainly brought rain and some high winds but essentially paid a glancing blow to the Island.

“The Emergency Measures Organisation will continue to take any named storm seriously and always urge residents to be prepared. Better safe than sorry,” he added.

The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said Wednesday that Rafael, a Category One hurricane, located 310 miles north east of Bermuda, was moving faster to the north-northeast with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour.

The NHC said that some weakening is expected later on Wednesday, but that Rafael is expected to  remain a powerful cyclone for several days and that swells generated by the storm are expected to affect Bermuda and eastern facing beaches of the Bahamas and portions of the United States during the next few days