Tropical Storm Ernesto moved away from Bermuda and moved further into the Atlantic Ocean, causing powerful swells to head towards the U.S. East Coast. These swells led to dangerous rip currents, resulting in at least one fatality and numerous rescues. The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory and warned of high rip current risks along the Atlantic Coast through Monday evening, emphasizing the threat even to strong swimmers.
Meteorologist Mike Lee from the weather service office in Mount Holly, N.J., highlighted the heightened risk for rip currents along the Eastern Seaboard due to Ernesto’s strong swells. The warning stretched from Florida to the Boston area and parts of Maine. Lee cautioned that rip currents posed a danger to all swimmers, regardless of experience level, urging extreme caution.
Authorities reported incidents related to the storm impact. A fisherman was rescued after being washed off a jetty in New Jersey, sustaining injuries and requiring hospitalization. Lifeguards in New Jersey and Ventnor rescued multiple individuals due to dangerous conditions. Tragically, a 41-year-old man drowned in a rip current in Surf City, North Carolina, on Saturday.
Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm after affecting Bermuda with heavy rains and strong winds, before re-intensifying as it moved northeast into the Atlantic. Bermuda’s Security Minister mentioned the territory was gradually returning to normalcy post-storm, with minimal infrastructure damage reported. However, over 12,000 customers remained without power.
Earlier, Ernesto impacted the northeast Caribbean, causing water shortages in Puerto Rico. Power restoration efforts were in progress, with over a million customers having electricity restored four days after the storm. Yet, more than 60,000 customers were still without power the following morning. Clean-up operations were underway in various regions affected by Ernesto’s passage.
In the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, public schools were set to reopen after being closed due to the storm. Officials advised caution and readiness for any further impact as Ernesto continued on its path into the Atlantic Ocean.