Hurricane Ernesto brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to Puerto Rico, causing power outages and flooding before moving away from the island. The Category 1 hurricane had sustained winds of 80 mph and was forecasted to strengthen, potentially becoming a major hurricane by Friday.
By Wednesday afternoon, the storm's center was over 300 miles northwest of San Juan, with its effects still being felt on the island. Strong winds exceeding 74 mph affected Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, leading to power outages and disruptions in water processing systems.
In Puerto Rico, nearly half of all customers experienced power outages, with around 650,000 customers affected. The US Virgin Islands also faced power outages, impacting almost 28,000 customers.
The intense rainfall caused river flooding and interrupted water filtration processes, leaving over 120,000 water customers without drinking water. Storm surge along Puerto Rico's eastern coastline raised water levels, posing risks of swells and rip tides.
Puerto Rico's Governor mobilized the National Guard and urged residents to seek shelter. Public schools were closed, and numerous shelters were opened across the island. The fragile electrical grid, still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017, faced challenges with the recent outages.
Ernesto is expected to strengthen further as it moves into the open Atlantic waters. It is projected to become a major Category 3 hurricane and could impact Bermuda over the weekend. The extent of the storm's impact on Bermuda will depend on its proximity to the island.
Rainfall and strong winds from Ernesto may affect Bermuda, potentially leading to flash flooding. The island could experience varying impacts based on the hurricane's path. Preparations are underway in Bermuda to mitigate potential damages from the approaching storm.
