The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami called Nicole an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm and urged islanders to rush preparations for its powerful rain and winds, WP reported.

 The storm was located about 290 kilometers south-southwest of Bermuda late Wednesday night. It had maximum sustained winds of 215 kph and was moving north-northeast at 19 kph.

Hundreds of people had rushed to shops and gas stations for last-minute preparations as rain and wind began to batter Bermuda, which has sturdy infrastructure and is accustomed to storms.