Veering toward the east, Fay briefly achieved Category 1 hurricane status while making landfall on Bermuda early on October 12.

Wind shear eventually took its toll on Fay, causing the hurricane to weaken to a tropical storm later that day and degenerate into an open trough early on October 13.

Winds gusting over 100 mph (155 km/h) clogged roadways with downed trees and utility poles, and left a majority of the island's electric customers without power.

Relatively strong winds sampled by a Hurricane Hunters aircraft necessitated a special off-hour advisory to raise the cyclone's intensity estimate.

[3] By the early morning hours of October 13, Fay started transitioning into an extratropical cyclone as it entered a baroclinic environment and ingested colder, drier air.

[3] The most intense winds occurred in a relatively quick burst on the backside of the storm, within a large band of thunderstorms that affected the island a couple hours after the official landfall.

[15] A gauge at St. George's recorded a 1.78 ft (0.54 m) storm surge, though higher water rises may have affected the southern and western sides of the island.

[20] The combined effects of Fay and Gonzalo forced the Botanical Gardens and Arboretum to stay closed until mid-November, while cleanup of vegetation damage was underway.

[22] Including subsequent damage from Gonzalo, about $2 million was spent on airport repairs, and the storms were later cited as evidence of the need for a newer terminal in a more protected location.

[23] Overall, the cyclone's effects were greater than anticipated, with destruction at least partially facilitated by saturated soils from nearly 14 inches (360 mm) of rain in August and above-normal precipitation in September.

[12] Cleanup efforts after the storm were hastened as Hurricane Gonzalo approached from the south, amid concerns that strewn debris from Fay could become airborne and exacerbate future destruction.

The unanticipated heavy damage from Fay prompted residents to prepare more thoroughly for Gonzalo, as evidenced by stores reporting an influx of customers purchasing emergency supplies.

[29] Early on October 16, the Bermuda Electric Light Company (BELCO) switched its focus from service restoration after Fay to preparations for the onslaught of Gonzalo, leaving about 1,500 households without power.

The remaining affected customers were asked to refrain from calling in to report outages, as further repairs would not be attempted before Gonzalo's passage unless "an easy fix can be made [and] resources are available".

[32] Following the two hurricanes, service was not completely restored to the island until November 3;[15] BELCO ultimately spent $2.9 million on system repairs, having replaced 228 utility poles and over 4 mi (6.5 km) of wire.