Tropical Storm Ernesto brought heavy rain to Puerto Rico and caused widespread power outages for hundreds of thousands of residents in the U.S. territory. The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph), was moving northwest at 16 mph (26 kph), located about 125 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of San Juan.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami mentioned that while there was a possibility that Ernesto had become a hurricane, radar data did not support an upgrade at that moment. However, the storm was expected to strengthen into a hurricane later on Wednesday. Tropical storm warnings were issued for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.
Heavy flooding was reported on these islands, leading to road closures and damage to property. Mayor Edilberto Junito Romero of Culebra described the situation as having “a lot of rain” with fallen trees and roofs blown off. Ernesto was forecasted to become a major Category 3 storm as it made its way towards Bermuda while generating heavy swells along the U.S. East Coast.
Between 4 to 6 inches of rain was expected in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, 6 to 8 inches in Puerto Rico, and up to 10 inches in isolated areas. The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico experienced power outages, with more than 300,000 customers without power in Puerto Rico alone. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency had advised residents to prepare for extended outages.
Luma Energy, responsible for power transmission and distribution in Puerto Rico, prioritized restoring power to critical services such as hospitals and water facilities. The island’s power grid, devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017, remains fragile as efforts to rebuild continue. Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi announced emergency FEMA funds had been approved by President Joe Biden in response to the storm.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm of the current Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average hurricane season due to exceptionally warm ocean temperatures, estimating 17 to 25 named storms and four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
