Bermuda residents were battening their hatches on Friday and preparing for extreme weather ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ernesto.
On Friday morning, Hurricane Ernesto, a category 2 storm, traveled closer to the British territory of Bermuda, promoting the closure of numerous buildings and businesses on the island.
The storm was located roughly 215 miles from the Southern coast of Bermuda. Hurricane Ernesto had wind speeds of up to 100 miles per hour and was moving north at around 14 miles per hour.
An advisory from the National Hurricane Center said, "Ernesto is expected to bring a prolonged period of strong winds and storm surge on Bermuda starting this afternoon through Saturday night. A hurricane warning is in effect for the island, and preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion."
"Heavy rainfall associated with Ernesto is expected to impact Bermuda through this weekend and will likely result in considerable life-threatening flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas on the island," the advisory said. "Even though Ernesto is forecast to remain well offshore the U.S. East Coast, swell generated by the hurricane are expected to affect the area through the weekend."
The storm is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of rain, with isolated areas receiving up to 15 inches. Forecasters highlighted the size of Hurricane Ernesto, with hurricane-force winds reaching up to 70 miles (110 kilometers) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extending as far as 265 miles (425 kilometers).
Earlier this week, officials in Bermuda said they were closing down public transportation and the island's airport in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Ernesto. Some local grocery stores are also expected to close later this evening ahead of the storm.
Bermuda's National Security Minister Michael Weeks has also previously urged residents to have their preparations for the hurricane ready before its arrival.
"Time is running out," he said.
Bermuda, an archipelago, is made up 181 different islands, that combined, are around the size of Manhattan. Ernesto previously struck the northeast Caribbean, leaving hundreds of thousands without power or water in Puerto Rico after passing the U.S. territory as a tropical storm.
Over 250,000 residents in Puerto Rico were left without power after Hurricane Ernesto passed by, while roughly 170,000 were left without fresh water.
Hurricane Ernesto is currently the fifth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season. Earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season.
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