This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Ernesto in Zulu on August 17, 2024. Ernesto battered Bermuda with heavy rains and strong winds on August 17, leaving large parts of the British Atlantic Territory without power. Meteorologists warned of a dangerous storm surge and flooding. The hurricane, which hit Puerto Rico earlier this week, made landfall in the country at 5:30 a.m. local time (08:30 GMT), bringing maximum sustained winds of 85 miles (137 kilometers per hour), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. (Photo by Handout/NOAA/GOES/AFP)
Hurricane Ernesto battered Bermuda with heavy rains and fierce winds on Saturday, leaving large parts of the British Atlantic territory without power before continuing its path toward eastern Canada.
The hurricane that hit Puerto Rico earlier this week was “slowly moving away from Bermuda” as of Saturday evening, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, but was still generating conditions similar to a strong tropical storm.
The storm made landfall at 5:30 a.m. local time (08:30 GMT) with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles (137 kilometers per hour), the NHC said.
“We continue to pass through the southwest quadrant of Ernesto,” the Bermuda Weather Service said Saturday evening, adding that the island would experience “occasional gusty showers” and warned that seas would remain dangerous throughout the night.
Ernesto was located about 85 miles northeast of the island at 6:00 p.m. local time and was expected to dump a total of 175 to 225 millimeters of rain on Bermuda.
“This rainfall is likely to cause significant, life-threatening flash flooding on the island, particularly in low-lying areas,” the NHC said.
The storm left almost 26,000 households without power, reported Bermuda energy company Belco. That’s more than 70 percent of customers on the island of 64,000 inhabitants.
Images on social media showed fallen trees blocking roads, power lines damaged by the storm’s strong winds and flooded streets.
Ahead of the storm’s arrival, Bermuda residents prepared for the situation on Friday by pulling boats out of the sea, barricading windows, filling bathtubs with water and stocking up on batteries and food.
“Although our strength has been downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm, we must remember that some gusts will be severe,” National Security Minister Michael Weeks said on Saturday, according to The Royal Gazette newspaper.
“There are a lot of fallen wires and leaves, so the situation can be dangerous,” he added.
Some important roads were closed and bus and ferry services were suspended, the newspaper said.
Bermuda’s LF Wade International Airport said it would remain closed until Sunday following the storm.
Ernesto was moving northeast and was expected to slowly exit Bermuda on Saturday and move near or east of Newfoundland in eastern Canada on Monday evening, the NHC said.
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There were warnings that dangerous beach conditions were expected along the east coast of the United States through next week.
