The winds downed numerous power lines, causing 78% of the island's 32,031 power customers to experience power outages. The strong winds damaged or destroyed the roofs of numerous buildings on Bermuda. One of the areas lightest hit was around a hotel outside of Hamilton, which experienced no power outages or blown out windows, while one of the harder hit areas was Warwick. There, one resident noted, "Too many homes have lost roofs to count". One house was entirely destroyed on Rec View Hill, while an unconfirmed tornado destroyed much of the roof of a house in Devonshire. The hurricane destroyed a restaurant in Southampton and also damaged stands and roofs at sports facilities. Strong winds from the hurricane damaged several landmark buildings, including the House of Assembly and the City Hall, both in Hamilton, and the former military headquarters in St. George's. Bermuda International Airport sustained US$15 million in damages, primarily to buildings and roadways which were washed away by the storm surge. The runway escaped major damage, however, and the airport re-opened the following day for emergency relief flights. Confronting the damages in the storm's aftermath, Airport General Manager James G. Howes was quoted by the news media as saying, "My heart sank when I first saw the Airport that morning. There was tons of debris everywhere and all the fire alarms and security alarms were going off. There was this din of bells and horns – it was like a war zone". Commercial airline service was suspended for three days due to heavy damage to the Terminal Building, which was flooded with of seawater. The airport's ILS and radar were also damaged. The hurricane also affected the Bermuda Weather Service, as 8 ft (2.4 m) waves destroyed recording equipment. The winds severely damaged the island's major hotels, closing five for extended periods to repair damage. One hotel that remained open experienced damage to 25% of its rooms. The strong winds uprooted hundreds of trees along the island's golf courses, though little damage was reported at most courses. One course experienced significant damage at its club house, temporarily closing it. Government Conservation Officer Dr. David B. Wingate reported the damage to the South Shore of Bermuda was the worst in a thousand years. The strong winds blew down hundreds of trees, caused severe damage to vegetation, and destroyed many of the island's indigenous plants. The hurricane washed away large