Tropical Storm Ernesto nears hurricane strength as it skirts Puerto Rico, bringing power outages and potential flooding
Tropical Storm Ernesto is expected to intensify into a dangerous hurricane as it skirts Puerto Rico early Wednesday, unleashing flooding rainfall and heavy winds that could strike a sweeping blow to the island’s ailing power infrastructure.
Tropical Storm Ernesto is nearing hurricane strength as it brushes past Puerto Rico, bringing heavy rains and strong winds that have left hundreds of thousands without power. The storm, the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph as of 5 a.m. Wednesday, just 4 mph shy of hurricane strength. Its center was about 85 miles northwest of San Juan after passing over the Virgin Islands on Tuesday.
While Ernesto won't directly hit Puerto Rico, it is expected to dump between 8 and 10 inches of rain on the island, potentially triggering dangerous flash flooding and mudslides. The heaviest rainfall is predicted for the southeastern part of the island.
Ernesto is expected to move into the open Atlantic later on Wednesday. However, its impact is still being felt throughout parts of the Caribbean. A hurricane watch is in effect for the British Virgin Islands, while tropical storm warnings have been issued for the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra.
Flash flood warnings are in place for St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John, as well as Vieques and Culebra, with flooding ongoing or expected to begin shortly. Along Puerto Rico's eastern coastline, storm surge could elevate water levels by as much as 3 feet, creating life-threatening swells and rip currents.
Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi has mobilized the National Guard and urged residents to shelter in their homes. Public schools are closed, and nearly 80 shelters have been opened. Residents have been warned to prepare for widespread power outages, as the island's fragile and outdated electrical grid is still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017. Over 300,000 customers in Puerto Rico are currently without power, according to LUMA Energy, the company managing the power transmission and distribution.
Power outages are a recurring problem for Puerto Ricans, who have witnessed slow progress in modernizing their power grid, which remains highly vulnerable to natural disasters. LUMA Energy has deployed crews to respond to outages and has urged people to report blackouts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has pledged support for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with immediate storm response, including search and rescue operations and generator supplies.
Ernesto is expected to curve north on Wednesday, moving away from the Caribbean and into the open Atlantic. It is predicted to strengthen as it approaches Bermuda by Friday and could become a powerful hurricane by the weekend. While it's still uncertain how close Ernesto will come to Bermuda or how much rain and wind it will bring, the storm's intensity will depend on warm ocean water and the strength of storm-disrupting upper level winds. Ernesto could even become a major hurricane, reaching Category 3 strength or greater, later this week.
Ernesto's path could still shift, depending on several factors, including when it is pulled northward. A later turn could lead the storm to impact areas farther west, such as Hispaniola or the southern Bahamas.
Despite its course over the open Atlantic, Ernesto will have widespread effects later this week and over the weekend. The storm will churn up seas hundreds of miles away and could create dangerous rip currents for the US East Coast, the Bahamas, and parts of the Caribbean into early next week.
While Ernesto won't directly hit Puerto Rico, it is expected to dump between 8 and 10 inches of rain on the island, potentially triggering dangerous flash flooding and mudslides. The heaviest rainfall is predicted for the southeastern part of the island.
Ernesto is expected to move into the open Atlantic later on Wednesday. However, its impact is still being felt throughout parts of the Caribbean. A hurricane watch is in effect for the British Virgin Islands, while tropical storm warnings have been issued for the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra.
Flash flood warnings are in place for St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John, as well as Vieques and Culebra, with flooding ongoing or expected to begin shortly. Along Puerto Rico's eastern coastline, storm surge could elevate water levels by as much as 3 feet, creating life-threatening swells and rip currents.
Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi has mobilized the National Guard and urged residents to shelter in their homes. Public schools are closed, and nearly 80 shelters have been opened. Residents have been warned to prepare for widespread power outages, as the island's fragile and outdated electrical grid is still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017. Over 300,000 customers in Puerto Rico are currently without power, according to LUMA Energy, the company managing the power transmission and distribution.
Power outages are a recurring problem for Puerto Ricans, who have witnessed slow progress in modernizing their power grid, which remains highly vulnerable to natural disasters. LUMA Energy has deployed crews to respond to outages and has urged people to report blackouts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has pledged support for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with immediate storm response, including search and rescue operations and generator supplies.
Ernesto is expected to curve north on Wednesday, moving away from the Caribbean and into the open Atlantic. It is predicted to strengthen as it approaches Bermuda by Friday and could become a powerful hurricane by the weekend. While it's still uncertain how close Ernesto will come to Bermuda or how much rain and wind it will bring, the storm's intensity will depend on warm ocean water and the strength of storm-disrupting upper level winds. Ernesto could even become a major hurricane, reaching Category 3 strength or greater, later this week.
Ernesto's path could still shift, depending on several factors, including when it is pulled northward. A later turn could lead the storm to impact areas farther west, such as Hispaniola or the southern Bahamas.
Despite its course over the open Atlantic, Ernesto will have widespread effects later this week and over the weekend. The storm will churn up seas hundreds of miles away and could create dangerous rip currents for the US East Coast, the Bahamas, and parts of the Caribbean into early next week.