Hurricane Ernesto expected to strengthen as it heads for Bermuda with U.S. East Coast at risk of rip currents
Bermuda was under a hurricane warning Thursday as Hurricane Ernesto continues its trek toward the North Atlantic island after leaving hundreds of thousands of people in the Caribbean without power when it was still a tropical storm.
In its latest update, the National Hurricane Center said Ernesto is a Category 1 storm with 85 mph winds, and it is expected to strengthen and "could be near major hurricane strength by Friday." Its eye is forecast to pass near or over Bermuda on Saturday, at which point forecasters say it will be a large hurricane. 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.
As of 11 a.m. EDT, Ernesto's tropical storm-force winds extended 175 miles from its 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 also see about half a foot of rain, with some areas seeing a foot. Ernesto was about 570 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and heading north at 14 mph Thursday, the hurricane center said.
Its impacts will extend beyond Bermuda. The swells created by the storm will impact the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern 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 thousands. At one point, more than half a million people just in Puerto Rico were without power, including 23 hospitals that were operating on generators. Schools and numerous roads were also closed. As of 11:15 a.m. EDT, more than 431,000 were still without electricity, according to Puerto Rico's electricity provider, LUMA Energy.
According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. Virgin Islands were without electricity by late morning on Thursday, down from a peak of about 46,000 on Wednesday.
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.
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.