Hurricane Ernesto is approaching Bermuda, prompting the island’s officials to take precautions such as opening shelters and shutting down government offices.
The Category 2 storm is currently located 255 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and moving at a speed of 13 mph. Forecasters anticipate Ernesto to strengthen further before potentially passing close to or over Bermuda on Saturday. The National Hurricane Center has cautioned that tropical storm conditions, including strong winds and potentially life-threatening floods, could start affecting Bermuda by Friday afternoon.
Preparations to safeguard lives and property are being urged to be completed promptly. The storm is projected to bring heavy rainfall of 6 to 12 inches, with some areas possibly experiencing up to 15 inches of rain. Ernesto is a sizable hurricane, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 70 miles from its center and tropical-storm-force winds reaching up to 265 miles.
In anticipation of the storm, public transportation has been suspended, and the airport is set to close by Friday night in the affluent British territory. National Security Minister Michael Weeks has advised residents to finalize their hurricane preparedness by Thursday, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Despite its small size, Bermuda rarely experiences direct hits from hurricanes due to its sturdy infrastructure and elevated terrain that helps mitigate storm surges.
Before heading towards Bermuda, Hurricane Ernesto caused extensive damage in the northeastern Caribbean, particularly in Puerto Rico where hundreds of thousands were left without power or water after the storm passed through. About 230,000 customers were still without electricity two days after the storm, with an additional 170,000 lacking water access. The aftermath of the storm has been challenging for many residents, like Andrés Cabrera from Carolina, who couldn’t afford generators or solar panels and had to rely on natural relief.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of the current Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average season with 17 to 25 named storms, including four to seven major hurricanes, due to unusually warm ocean temperatures.
