Ernesto strengthened into a hurricane early Monday as it moved further out into the Atlantic towards easternmost Canada. The storm is expected to remain offshore, causing powerful swells, dangerous surf, and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Meanwhile, an unrelated storm brought heavy rainfall of up to 10 inches, leading to road washouts, basement flooding, and rescues in Connecticut as reported by the National Weather Service.
Ernesto's maximum sustained winds increased to near 85 mph with higher gusts overnight, and it is forecasted to weaken and transition into a post-tropical storm by Tuesday. The storm was located about 340 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was projected to pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday and early Tuesday, potentially causing coastal flooding in Canada.
The National Hurricane Center advised caution to residents along the U.S. East Coast, urging beachgoers to heed warnings, flags, and lifeguards' instructions to ensure safety. Swells generated by Ernesto were affecting various areas including the Bahamas, Bermuda, U.S. East Coast, and Canadian Atlantic coast, leading to life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory and highlighted a high risk of rip currents along the Atlantic Coast through Monday evening, extending warnings from Florida to the Boston area and parts of Maine. In a separate incident, slow-moving storms caused downpours in southwest Connecticut and Suffolk County, New York, resulting in flooding and rescues.
Two individuals were swept away by flooding in Oxford, Connecticut, with one in a car and the other clinging to a sign. Firefighters rescued over a dozen people from a flooded restaurant in Beacon Falls, Connecticut, where concerns about structural integrity arose due to rising floodwaters.
Flash flood warnings were in effect for parts of Connecticut and southeastern New York, with additional advisories for areas in Delaware, New Jersey, and southeastern Pennsylvania. Meteorologists indicated a lower risk of flash flooding for the day, with dry weather expected for the remainder of the week.
Ernesto had weakened to a tropical storm after impacting Bermuda, causing heavy rain and strong winds but no major incidents. The storm had previously affected the northeastern Caribbean, leaving thousands without water in Puerto Rico.
Following cleanup efforts, public schools in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were set to resume operations after delays due to the storm's aftermath.
