As Hurricane Ernesto approached Bermuda early on Saturday, it had weakened to a Category 1 storm but still posed a significant threat to the British island territory. Although the storm’s intensity had diminished, it continued to present hazards with its powerful winds, a perilous storm surge, and the risk of severe flooding.
The hurricane was gradually advancing toward the Atlantic archipelago, with its center expected to pass near or over Bermuda during the morning. The U.S. National Hurricane Center anticipated that the most severe impacts, including the height of the storm surge and potential flash flooding, would occur later in the day.
At 11 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time on Friday (1100 ET on Saturday), the storm’s eye was located 65 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, according to the National Hurricane Center. Rainbands associated with Ernesto began affecting the island on Friday afternoon. Given the storm’s slow movement—tracking north-northeast at 13 mph—and its considerable size, Bermuda could face a prolonged battering through Saturday night.
Ernesto was producing maximum sustained winds of up to 90 mph, which places it at the upper end of Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Despite the reduction in intensity, these winds remained dangerous and capable of causing damage. On Friday, Ernesto had been a Category 2 hurricane, characterized by even more destructive winds. The storm was expected to weaken further over the next day or so but was also forecast to regain strength once it moved over the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream.
The forecast predicted rainfall amounts of up to 9 inches for Bermuda. Michael Weeks, Bermuda’s national security minister, emphasized the severity of the situation in a press conference on Friday, stating, “Folks, be under no illusion. This storm is the real deal.” He assured that emergency responders would be stationed at key locations throughout Bermuda, which consists of 181 small islands situated more than 600 miles off the South Carolina coast.
By Friday afternoon, Ernesto had already caused power outages affecting 5,400 of Bermuda’s 36,000 utility customers, according to the power company BELCO. The company had pulled its repair crews from the field due to the dangerous conditions.
The effects of Ernesto extended beyond Bermuda, with swells generated by the storm impacting the Bahamas, parts of Bermuda, and the eastern coast of the United States. In New York City, officials from the Parks Department and the National Park Service announced that all beaches in Brooklyn and Queens would be closed to swimmers on Saturday and Sunday. The National Weather Service had warned of hazardous rip currents and swells reaching up to 6 feet (2 meters).
