Hurricane Ernesto, which recently brought heavy rains and strong winds that left hundreds of thousands in Puerto Rico without power, is expected to gain strength as it approaches Bermuda, according to officials.
Initially a tropical storm when it impacted Puerto Rico on Wednesday, Ernesto had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, as reported by the National Hurricane Center. Fortunately, there have been no deaths attributed to the storm, but Governor Pedro Pierluisi announced that over 730,000 customers were without electricity, with many also lacking water service.
As of 11 p.m. Wednesday, Ernesto had intensified into a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds increasing to 80 mph while moving across the open Atlantic Ocean. Dr. Michael Brennan, Director of the National Hurricane Center, noted that as the storm nears Bermuda on Saturday, it is likely to reach or be close to major hurricane intensity, which is classified as Category 3 or higher.
Minister of National Security for Bermuda, Michael Weeks, urged residents to take the storm seriously and prepare accordingly, emphasizing the potential for significant disruption. Ernesto may also generate hazardous rip currents along the Atlantic coast of the United States this week and through the weekend, forecasters warned.
In Puerto Rico, the Barranquitas region experienced over 10 inches of rain, with widespread flood watches still in effect as of late Wednesday. The hurricane watch for the British Virgin Islands and tropical storm warnings for the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra, popular tourist destinations, were lifted by Wednesday afternoon.
Social media captured dramatic footage of sailors being rescued from a stranded tugboat near Sint Maarten amid the storm’s fierce conditions. As of now, Ernesto is recognized as the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of a notably active hurricane season.