Tropical Storm Ernesto intensified into a hurricane on Wednesday as it moved over the Atlantic as it neared Puerto Rico, where schools and offices were closed due to rain on the Caribbean island.
Ernesto is heading north into the U.S., but officials there are still expecting widespread disruptions, power outages and heavy rain. The Puerto Rican government said 344 shelters were in place and public transportation was suspended.
This is now the third cyclone of the year.
The National Hurricane Center reported Wednesday that the storm had sustained winds of 75 mph. It warned that “significant” flooding was expected across Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluzzi urged people to stay indoors by Tuesday evening as forecasts warned of up to 10 inches of rain in the island’s southeast and possible landslides and widespread flooding. The storm was about 85 miles north of the capital, San Juan, early Wednesday morning.
“We are specifically warning tourists and our own people to stay out of the ocean. Ocean conditions will be very dangerous, especially in the north and east of Puerto Rico,” the governor said.
A hurricane watch is in place for the British Virgin Islands, while a tropical storm watch is in effect for the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vic and Culebra – all popular with tourists.
The storm is expected to pass north of Puerto Rico on Wednesday and approach Bermuda on Saturday.
“I hope it goes away soon,” Jose Rodriguez, a 36-year-old food business owner, told The Associated Press.
Dramatic video Sailors posted on social media the moment they were rescued from a trawler stranded on the island of Sint Maarten, which was blown apart by high winds and heavy rain on Tuesday.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm in what is already a very busy hurricane season.
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