Ernesto is suiting up as a hurricane, bringing ‘significant flooding and risk’: Here’s more updates

Hurricane Ernesto has strengthened into a hurricane and is currently making its way toward Bermuda after causing widespread power outages across Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as a tropical storm.

La Plata river floods a road after Tropical Storm Ernesto passed through Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)(AP)

On Wednesday morning, the hurricane churned with winds of 75 mph. Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center expect Ernesto to gain even more strength in the coming days.

This development comes just after Hurricane Debby completed its devastating path along the U.S. East Coast, leaving at least eight people dead, including children, as it weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm.

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Nearly 800,000 people are left without power as Ernesto sweeps Caribbean

Ernesto remained a tropical storm through much of Wednesday morning but was upgraded to hurricane status once its winds reached the minimum threshold of 74 mph, as measured by the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. This scale, however, only measures wind speed and does not account for the storm’s size, speed, precipitation, or storm surge—all of which can pose significant dangers.

PowerOutage.us reported that nearly 46,000 people in the Virgin Islands, including the entire population of St. Croix and most residents on St. Thomas and St. John, are without power due to Ernesto. In Puerto Rico, nearly 730,000 people have lost electricity, according to LUMA Energy, the island’s energy provider.

The National Hurricane Center predicted earlier that the storm could reach major hurricane status, meaning it could become a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 111 mph or higher.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Tuesday night, authorizing FEMA to assist with storm recovery efforts.

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Ernesto will move away from Puerto Rico to…

The Miami-based hurricane centre stated, “On the forecast track, the centre of Ernesto will continue to move away from Puerto Rico today, move across the western Atlantic during the next few days, and approach Bermuda Friday and Saturday.”

Forecasters advised that Bermuda should closely monitor the storm’s progress, and a hurricane watch may be issued for the island later on Wednesday.

The hurricane centre warned that flash flooding and mudslides could occur in the US territories as Ernesto continues to bring “ongoing heavy rains.” While the US mainland is largely outside of Ernesto’s risk zone, the storm could still generate rip currents and large waves along the coast. The northeast might experience 8-foot waves over the weekend, and the Carolinas, still recovering from Tropical Storm Debby, could see a swell starting tomorrow.

NOAA forecasters echoed these concerns, advising beachgoers of the “significant risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents” and urging them to stay out of the water unless lifeguards advised them to.

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Ernesto is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has already been historic due to Beryl’s record strength at the beginning of the season.