SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Ernesto was barreling toward Bermuda on Friday as officials in the tiny British territory in the mid-Atlantic prepared to open shelters and close government offices.
The Category 2 storm was located 180 miles (285 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). It was moving northeast at 14 mph (22 km/h).
Ernesto is expected to pass near or over Bermuda Saturday morning. Tropical storm conditions including strong winds and life-threatening flooding are expected to begin affecting Bermuda Friday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The center added that “preparations must be completed quickly to protect lives and property.”
Forecasters predicted the storm would dump 6 to 12 inches of rain, with up to 15 inches in isolated areas. Forecasters said Ernesto was a major hurricane, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the center and tropical storm-force winds extending up to 275 miles (445 kilometers).
In preparation for the storm, officials in the wealthy British territory announced that they would suspend public transport and close the airport by Friday night.
National Security Minister Michael Weeks has warned of dangerous weather conditions starting late Friday.
“Hurricane Ernesto poses a serious threat to our community, and this storm should not be taken lightly,” he said.
Bermuda is an archipelago of 181 small islands with a total area about the size of Manhattan.
According to AccuWeather, it’s unusual for the eye of a hurricane to make landfall. The site notes that since 1850, only 11 of the 130 tropical storms have made landfall within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Bermuda.
The island is a maritime financial centre known for its sturdy construction, and due to its elevation storms are not a problem as they are on low-lying islands.
Hurricane Ernesto earlier hit the northeastern Caribbean, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power or water in Puerto Rico after it swept across the U.S. territory as a tropical storm.
More than 240,000 of the 1.4 million customers were still without power more than two days after the storm. Another 170,000 people were still without water after the National Weather Service issued another extreme heat warning, warning of “dangerous heat and humidity conditions.”
“It’s not easy,” said Andres Cabrera, 60, who lives in the North Carolina coastal city and has no water or electricity.
Like many on the island, he couldn’t afford a generator or solar panels. Cabrera said he relied on “the wind coming in from the street” for his livelihood.
Officials said they hope to restore power to 90% of Puerto Rico’s roughly 1.5 million customers by Sunday, but have not yet said when they expect to restore full power.
Of the 152 critical infrastructure sites without electricity that are prioritized, 36 now have electricity, said Juan Saca, president of Luma Energy, a private company that manages the island’s power transmission and distribution.
In the neighboring U.S. Virgin Islands, crews also worked to restore power, with 80% of customers back online.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm and third hurricane of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year. Due to record high ocean temperaturesThe agency forecasts 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes.
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