HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) – Hurricane Nicole was moving over the Atlantic on Friday causing large swells along the United States East Coast and into Canada after hammering Bermuda Thursday with winds in excess of 120 miles per hour (mph).

“We can breathe a sigh of relief. It could have been much worse,” Premier Michael Dunkley said as Bermudians began assessing the damage caused by the 14th named storm of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane season.

The Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) was expected to update citizens on the damage caused by the storm, while schools will remain closed until Monday.

The storm, the first to hit the British overseas territory since Hurricane Fabian in 2003, ripped off roofs, flooded homes and caused other destruction. However, there were no reports of fatalities.

The causeway linking the mainland and the LF Wade International Airport suffered damage to its walls and road surface. However, Premier Dunkley told the Royal Gazette newspaper that the damage was minimal and it had re-opened to accommodate traffic.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Nicole, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph was located 795 miles south, south-west of Cape Race, New Foundland, yesterday afternoon.

“Nicole is moving toward the east-north-east near 18 mph and this motion is expected to continue with a decrease in forward speed during the next 48 hours,” the NHC said, adding that little change in strength was forecast during the next 48 hours.

However, the NHC said Nicole could become a post-tropical cyclone today, but added that swells associated with the system will continue to affect Bermuda and the United States east coast from the Carolinas northward for the next couple of days.