Ernesto strengthened into a hurricane Wednesday as it dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico and threatened to strengthen into a major hurricane en route to…
Ernesto is forecast to move through open waters for the rest of the week and make its closest approach to Bermuda on SaturdayErnesto strengthened into a hurricane Wednesday as it dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico and threatened to strengthen into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda.
An island-wide blackout was reported in St. John and St. Croix, and at least six cell phone towers were knocked offline across the U.S. territory, said Daryl Jaschen, emergency management director.Schools and government agencies, however, remained closed in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where heavy flooding was reported in several areas, forcing officials to block roads, some of which were strewn with trees. Nearly 100 flights also were canceled to and from Puerto Rico.
Ernesto is forecast to move through open waters for the rest of the week and make its closest approach to Bermuda on Saturday. It is expected to become a major Category 3 storm in the upcoming days and then weaken slightly to a Category 2 as it nears Bermuda. The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands reported an island-wide blackout in St. Croix, while in Puerto Rico, more than half a million customers were without power.
Puerto Rico’s power grid was razed by Hurricane Maria in September 2017 as a Category 4 storm, and it remains frail as crews continue to rebuild the system.
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