Hurricane Gonzalo has slammed into Bermuda knocking out most of the electricity as it lashed the tiny Atlantic island chain.
There has been no immediate reports of injuries.
It is the strongest storm to sweep the subtropical British territory in a decade.
Gonzalo made full landfall at about 8.30pm as the storm crossed the south-central coast of Bermuda, the US National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.
The category 2 hurricane was packing sustained winds of up to 110 mph, down from 140 mph earlier in the day, but it remained a dangerous storm, forecasters said.
Hurricane-force winds extended up to 60 miles from its centre as it bore down on Bermuda.
Gonzalo roared ashore just five days after Bermuda, home to 65,000 people, had been struck by a tropical storm.
While damage was believed to widespread, authorities were unable to immediately get into the streets to assess the full extent, said Sergeant Russann Francis, a staff officer for the fire department in Hamilton, the capital.
"In terms of injuries, we haven't had any calls come in at this time," she added.
Passage of the hurricane's eye provided a lull of an hour or two during which the skies cleared, the rain and winds ceased and an utter stillness prevailed.
Police issued a notice urging residents to stay indoors avoid being caught when the storm's fury resumed.
Flooding was reported in some areas and many banana trees had been knocked over.
The islands' only power company reported nearly 31,000 customers were without electricity, out of 36,000 metered connections.
