Puerto Rico activated the National Guard and canceled the start of classes in public schools in preparation for Tropical Storm Ernesto, the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical storm warnings were in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and other Caribbean islands as Ernesto formed in the Atlantic Ocean, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Forecasters warned of potential floods, landslides, and hurricane-strength wind gusts as the storm was expected to move across the region.
Officials in the French Caribbean anticipated that Ernesto would drench Guadeloupe before passing near St. Barts and St. Martin. The National Hurricane Center projected that Ernesto would approach Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands on Tuesday evening, bringing between six to eight inches of rain and higher amounts in isolated areas. Nino Correa, Puerto Rico’s emergency management commissioner, emphasized the importance of staying alert and prepared, given uncertainties over the storm’s trajectory, which could change.
Ernesto Morales, with the National Weather Service in San Juan, warned residents to prepare for the storm’s impact, as the system was forecast to hit northeast Puerto Rico before moving across the territory late Tuesday and early Wednesday. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. urged people to take the storm seriously, considering it a practice run to ensure readiness, especially with the peak of hurricane season still ahead. Ernesto was expected to become a hurricane early Thursday as it turned north toward Bermuda, possibly strengthening into a major Category 3 storm.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season due to record warm ocean temperatures, forecasting between 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher. The ongoing threat of hurricanes and tropical storms throughout the region underscored the need for continued vigilance and preparedness among residents and authorities. As the Atlantic hurricane season progressed, the uncertainty of storm trajectories and potential impacts highlighted the importance of early warning systems and proactive measures to mitigate risks posed by severe weather events.
