Puerto Rico has activated the National Guard and postponed the beginning of classes in public schools as forecasters anticipate the impact of Tropical Storm Ernesto, which formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday.
Tropical storm warnings are currently in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, as well as several Caribbean islands including Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barts, and St. Maarten.
As of now, the storm is situated approximately 295 miles off the coast of Antigua, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and moving in a west-northwest direction at 28 mph. Ernesto marks the fifth named storm of the ongoing Atlantic hurricane season.
Officials from the French Caribbean region have indicated that Guadeloupe will likely experience heavy rainfall on Monday, with Ernesto projected to approach Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands by Tuesday evening.
Forecasters have cautioned about potential flooding and landslides due to the storm’s expected impact.
“We cannot let our guard down,” stated Nino Correa, Puerto Rico’s emergency management commissioner, during a press briefing.
Ernesto Morales from the National Weather Service in San Juan reported that rainfall could reach between six to eight inches, with localized areas possibly receiving even more. He also raised concerns about hurricane-force wind gusts as the storm is anticipated to affect northeast Puerto Rico late Tuesday into early Wednesday.
He advised residents to prepare and remain vigilant, noting the variability in the storm’s trajectory.
“This trajectory is not written in stone and will be changing,” Morales warned.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. emphasized the importance of taking the storm seriously.
“This is a practice run to make sure we’re really prepared,” he remarked, acknowledging that the peak of hurricane season is still ahead.
Forecasts suggest that Ernesto could escalate into a hurricane by early Thursday as it shifts north toward Bermuda, with some meteorologists cautioning that it may strengthen into a major Category 3 storm.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has indicated an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year due to record warm ocean temperatures, projecting between 17 to 25 named storms and four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.