Michelle moving out to sea

MIAMI, Florida -- Once-powerful Hurricane Michelle weakened as it moved toward the northeast into the Atlantic after a destructive run through the Caribbean that left five reported dead in Cuba.

As of 10 p.m. ET, its center was 680 miles (1100 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.

By Monday evening, the hurricane's maximum sustained winds hovered around 85 mph. Forecasters said the storm would continue to weaken over the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Noel was moving at about 10 mph (17 km/h) toward Newfoundland in the north Atlantic. At 5 p.m., the center of the storm was situated about 515 miles (825 kilometers) south-southwest of Cape Race in the eastern Canadian province.

VIDEO CNN's Lucia Newman reports the eye Hurricane Michelle shifted eastward, away from Havana and toward the Cuban cirty's neighboring provinces (November 5) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Noel was expected to weaken to a tropical storm overnight and pass to the east of Newfoundland on Tuesday.

As Michelle moved farther into the Atlantic, the Bahamas discontinued all warnings, but the government told people to exercise caution until winds and seas died down.

The storm was moving east northeast at nearly 21 miles per hour (33 kilometers per hour) and was expected to continue in that direction for the next 24 hours. Its maximum sustained winds were near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts.

A gale warning was discontinued for Florida's east coast from Cocoa Beach south to Jupiter inlet. All other warnings were discontinued for southern Florida, but anyone thinking of going to sea was warned to use caution until winds and waves die down.

Florida escapes Michelle's wrath

The U.S. mainland avoided a direct hit from Michelle, but tropical storm force winds reaching nearly 50 mph were reported earlier at Miami Beach, the weather service said.

A storm surge along Florida's Atlantic coast flooded the beach at Hollywood, Florida, about 15 miles (25 kilometers) north of Miami. The force of the surge pushed the ocean up to nearby storefronts.

Beaches took the worst pounding from days of high winds and big waves that eroded many of south Florida's beaches. Coastal communities also suffered business losses when tourists left in fear or because of evacuation orders.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas had ordered a mandatory evacuation Sunday of people living in mobile homes, unsafe structures and in low-lying or flood-prone areas. Six shelters were opened to handle evacuees. Public schools in Miami-Dade were closed Monday.

A mandatory evacuation order was imposed Saturday night for residents in the Florida Keys, from the Seven-Mile Bridge up to and including Key West. Nonresidents were ordered to evacuate earlier Saturday.

The year-round population of the Florida Keys is about 87,000, while the influx of tourists can push the number to 115,000 at this time of year, according to a Key West official.

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency Friday that authorized evacuations and the use of the National Guard to assist in emergency operations. The state also activated its Emergency Operations Center.

Five reported dead in Cuba

Michelle made landfall in Cuba on Sunday with winds of 135 miles per hour.

Cuban state radio and television reported five people died in the province of Matanzas, one of the areas most hard hit by the storm.

The broadcasts said one person drowned and four people died when buildings collapsed on them. An unknown number of people were also injured in Matanzas, Cuban officials said.

Authorities evacuated more than 600,000 people, the majority in Pinar del Rio and Havana. Those deemed at greatest risk were in low-lying areas near the sea because of the expected storm surge.

Heavy loss of crops and property were reported in the island's central provinces. Cayo Largo reported a storm surge of 18 feet.

Electricity and communications were out across most of Cuba with the strong winds knocking down power lines and trees, especially in rural areas.

Residents had stocked up on water and food and removed unstable objects from their yards and roofs. Workers boarded up windows in buildings, causing a run on plywood and tape.

-- CNN Havana Bureau Chief Lucia Newman and CNN Correspondent John Zarrella contributed to this report.