Ernesto may be a major hurricane as it nears Bermuda after knocking out power for thousands in Caribbean

Bermuda prepares for Hurricane Ernesto's arrival

Conditions in Bermuda are expected to begin deteriorating Friday afternoon as Hurricane Ernesto creeps closer to the North Atlantic island. The island remains under a hurricane warning after Ernesto left hundreds of thousands of people in the Caribbean without power earlier this week. 

In its latest update, the National Hurricane Center said Ernesto had strengthened into a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. Ther storm is expected to keep gaining strength and "could be near major hurricane strength by Friday." Its eye is forecast to pass near or over Bermuda on Saturday. Hurricanes are considered major when they're at Category 3 strength and above, based on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, which does not account for a storm's size, speed, precipitation or storm surge, all of which pose additional dangers.

Ernesto was about 410 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and heading north at 14 mph Thursday night, the hurricane center said.  

Ahead of Ernesto's arrival, a rush of people have been trying to leave Bermuda. Michael Vanderbilt of Arlington, Virginia, who cut his trip to Bermuda short, was among the travelers waiting in long lines at L.F. Wade International Airport Thursday.

"I was here for a week of vacation, and I'm just taking the opportunity to leave a little early so I don't get caught up in the aftermath of the storm," Vanderbilt told CBS News.  

A satellite image of Hurricane Ernesto at 8:45 p.m. EDT on August 15, 2024. NOAA

The waves were already getting quite rough on the south end of Bermuda Thursday, and Bermudians like Richard Evans of Pembroke Parish were boarding up their homes.

"You never know until it actually hits because it can change direction, but you prepare like it's going to hit," Evans said. 

As of 8 p.m. EDT, hurricane-force winds extended up to 60 miles from Ernesto's center and tropical storm-force winds extended up to 265 miles from the center, with the Miami-based hurricane center saying it will likely produce "significant coastal flooding on Bermuda" with "large and destructive waves." 

The island nation could see six-to-12 inches of rain, with some areas seeing as much as 15 inches. 

Its impacts will extend beyond Bermuda, as the swells created by the storm will hit the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas and are expected to reach the U.S. East Coast on Thursday and last through the weekend. 

"The swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," the hurricane center said. 

Ernesto has already caused potentially life-threatening conditions in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It passed north of the region as a tropical storm that still managed to knock out power to tens of thousands of residents. At one point, 23 hospitals were operating on generators. Schools and numerous roads were also closed. 

A spokesperson for Puerto Rico's electricity provider, LUMA Energy, told CBS News that at the outage's peak, 750,000 customers were without power. As of 8:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, that number had dropped to about 273,000. About 1,600 crew members were working as quickly as possible to repair the power grid.

Residents in Puerto Rico were still coping with the damage Thursday. In Fajardo, a town on the northeast corner of the island, debris piles from damaged businesses were growing. 

The U.S. Virgin Island had about 46,000 out of power at one point on Wednesday — nearly all customers. As of Thursday night, about 25,000 customers were still without power. 

Ernesto developed just days after Debby finished its move along the U.S. East Coast, where it left at least eight people dead, including children, as a Category 1 hurricane-turned-tropical storm. 

CBS News senior weather and climate producer David Parkinson said Thursday that Ernesto "should top out as a Category 3 major hurricane" on Friday before it slightly weakens near Bermuda. 

"Landfall is still in the realm of possibility, but it's more likely the center of the storm will stay about 50 miles offshore," he said, adding that the biggest impact to people will be the waves Ernesto causes. Rip currents are also a concern, with New York's Long Island expecting a moderate risk later Thursday. 

"Waves could be as high as 8-10 feet at some beaches, and will be at least 10-20 feet out over open ocean," Parkinson said. "The large waves and rips last through the weekend and until the storm makes its final landfall in Atlantic Canada early next week."

NOAA forecasters said "beachgoers should be aware of a significant risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents, and stay out of the water if advised by lifeguards."

The National Hurricane Center that Bermuda will see a "dangerous storm surge" that will produce significant coastal flooding and destructive waves. The island nation will see about half a foot of rain and in some areas, up to a foot, possibly resulting in "considerable life-threatening flash flooding." 

Rivers across Puerto Rico were swollen after nearly 10 inches of rain. 

Flash flooding covers a roadway after Tropical Storm Ernesto moved through the area in Dorado, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 14, 2024.  JAYDEE LEE SERRANO/AFP via Getty Images

Officials were forced to open flood gates at a dam along the La Plata River. Sirens warned residents in nearby municipality of Toa Baja to evacuate their homes in case of flooding.

Puerto Rico's power grid was wiped out in 2017 by Hurricane Maria, which slammed the island as a strong Category 4 storm.

"The government today is much better prepared," said Juan Saca, president and CEO of LUMA Energy. "… We have a plan that you can go into our website and take a look at the plan."

President Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico, the White House said Tuesday night, authorizing FEMA to help with storm recovery. 

Ernesto is the fifth named storm so far of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has already proven to be historic after Beryl reached record strength at the beginning of the season in above-average temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico.

NOAA has predicted an above-normal season, with 17-25 named storms, eight to 13 hurricanes, and four to seven major hurricanes.

The fifth-named storm typically doesn't form until Aug. 22, according to NOAA. 

Editor's Note: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story reported 975,000 customers had lost power in Puerto Rico, but that was the number of customers who still had power, according to Puerto Rico's electricity provider.

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