Hurricane Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm Saturday night as it moved away from Bermuda over open Atlantic waters after crossing the tiny British territory earlier in the day with heavy rain and winds.
Ernesto forced residents to shelter in place and left more than 23,000 people without power, authorities said. By late Saturday, the storm’s maximum sustained winds had decreased to 70 mph (110 kph). It was centered about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northeast of Bermuda and moving northeast at 8 mph (13 kph).
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) had warned of strong winds, a dangerous storm surge and significant coastal flooding in Bermuda.
The NHC said Ernesto could dump 7 to 9 inches (17 to 22 centimeters) of rain on Bermuda.
“These precipitations could cause potentially life-threatening flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas of the island,” the NHC added.
Because of the storm’s large size and slow movement, hurricane-force winds are forecast to continue through Saturday night and tropical storm-force winds well into Sunday, the Bermuda government said.
On Saturday night, Michelle Pitcher, director of the Bermuda Weather Service, said wind gusts were still reaching hurricane force.
A tropical storm warning will remain in effect through the evening, Pitcher said.
Prime Minister David Burt shared a video on social media platform X thanking emergency services and urging people to stay at home.
“Throughout the evening, tropical storm force winds will continue and we urge everyone to use caution,” he said. “Please stay home.”
Bermuda’s power company BELCO reported that more than 23,000 customers remained without power on Saturday night.
The NHC reported life-threatening storm surge and rip currents on the U.S. East Coast and Canada. Ernesto was expected to pass close to the southeast of Newfoundland on Monday night and could possibly regain hurricane strength, it said.
Lana Morris, manager of Edgehill Manor Guest House in Bermuda, said conditions were calm, although the wind had begun to pick up.
“I have spoken to my guests, they have told me that they still have electricity, that they have running water and that they are comfortable.”
Morris said he has been communicating with his guests by phone.
“They don’t have internet, but if the internet doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. They are safe and that makes me happy.”
Bermuda is an archipelago of 181 tiny islands whose total land mass is roughly the size of Manhattan.
It is unusual for the eye of a hurricane to make landfall there, AccuWeather said. It noted that since 1850, only 11 of the 130 tropical storms that have passed within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Bermuda have made landfall.
The island is a well-known offshore financial centre with solid construction and, given its elevation, storm surges are not as problematic as on low-lying islands.
Ernesto had already hit the northeastern Caribbean, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity or water in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico’s electricity company, LUMA, said it had restored power to more than 1.3 million customers 72 hours after Ernesto hit. Hundreds of thousands more remained without water.
Authorities say they hope to restore power to 90% of customers in the territory by Sunday, but have not offered a timetable for full service recovery.
Following cleanup and debris removal efforts, the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education said all public schools will resume operations on Monday.
Classes in Puerto Rico are also scheduled to begin on Monday, almost a week later than their original date.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm of the year and the third Atlantic hurricane of the season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year due to record-warm ocean temperatures. It predicted between 17 and 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes.
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