Hurricane Ernesto, packing winds of 80 mph, is barreling towards Bermuda after leaving hundreds of thousands without power across Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, CBS News reports.
The storm, which strengthened from a tropical storm Wednesday morning, is expected to gain further strength in the coming days, according to the National Hurricane Center. This latest storm comes just days after Hurricane Debby, which left at least eight dead, including children, as it transitioned from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm along the US East Coast.
As of Wednesday night, more than 873,000 customers in Puerto Rico were also without power, according to island energy provider LUMA Energy. That number accounted for more than half off all customers on the island. According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, more than 28,000 people in the US Virgin Islands were without power Wednesday night, down from a peak of about 46,000 earlier in the day, which included everyone on the island of St. Croix and nearly everyone on the islands of St. Thomas and St. John.
Ernesto, currently moving at about 16 mph, is expected to continue strengthening in the coming days. The Miami-based hurricane center predicted earlier Wednesday that it could become a major hurricane, which is when a storm reaches Category 3, with winds of 111 mph or higher.
The Miami-based hurricane center said in its latest update that the center of Ernesto was expected to pass near Bermuda on Saturday, and was forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane by Friday. A hurricane watch has been issued for Bermuda. Ernesto’s center was located about 690 miles southwest of Bermuda and 175 miles northeast of Grand Turk Island.
Rivers across Puerto Rico were swollen after nearly 10 inches of rain. At least 20 Puerto Rico hospitals were operating on generators, while all schools were closed. There were road closures across the island due to downed trees and power lines.
In Manatí, emergency workers rescued three people, including an elderly couple trapped by floodwaters. They used ropes and a stretcher to carry them up a steep hill to safety.
Officials were forced to open flood gates at a dam along the La Plata River. Sirens warned residents in nearby municipality of Toa Baja to evacuate their homes in case of flooding.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico, the White House said Tuesday night, authorizing FEMA to help with storm recovery.
Ernesto remained a tropical storm through most of Tuesday morning, reaching hurricane status once its winds reached the minimum 74 mph for classification, as measured by the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. This scale does not account for a storm’s size, speed, precipitation or storm surge, all of which pose additional dangers.
The hurricane center said the storm is expected to produce between 4 and 6 inches of rain over the US and British Virgin Islands and up to 10 inches across southeastern Puerto Rico.
Flash flooding and mudslides could occur in the US territories, the hurricane center said, as Ernesto continues bring “ongoing heavy rains.”
NOAA forecasters are urging caution, warning of “life-threatening surf and rip currents” along the coast. They urge beachgoers to heed the advice of lifeguards and stay out of the water if advised.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has already been marked by record-breaking activity. Beryl, the first storm, reached record strength fueled by unusually warm Gulf of Mexico waters. NOAA has predicted an above-average hurricane season, anticipating 17-25 named storms, eight to 13 hurricanes, and four to seven major hurricanes.
The fifth-named storm typically doesn’t form until August 22nd, making this year’s early arrival a further indication of an active season.
