Forbes StaffIt also brings heavy rainfall and strong winds, prompting the closing of schools.
Ernesto, a tropical storm, has threatened the US, British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico with massive rainfall, strong winds, and storm surges, leading to school closures. Recently, a drone view shot was widely spread on the internet showcasing the storm clouds over a coastal community as Tropical Storm Ernesto approaches Loiza, Puerto Rico.
Tropical Storm Ernesto.
On Tuesday, Tropical Storm Ernesto threatened to bring massive rainfall among strong winds and storm surges to the US, British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, leading to the closure of schools in the US territory and preparation for power outages.
The storm could turn into a hurricane.
The National Hurricane Center said that the storm, last observed northwest of the island of Guadalupe and carrying maximum winds of 45 miles per hour (75km/hour), could turn into a hurricane by Thursday after passing over Puerto Rico and swerving north into the Atlantic. Ernesto, the fifth named storm of the season, is expected to miss Florida and the US Southeast, which are still whirling from Tropical Storm Debby.
Power grid at risk.
On Monday, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi activated over 200 National Guard members and accelerated food benefits for families before the storm’s arrival. Puerto Rico has a history of highly destructive storms. In 2022, Hurricane Fiona knocked out power for about 80% of the island’s customers. Hurricane Maria spread darkness across the territory. The private operator of Puerto Rico’s transmission and distribution system, LUMA Energy, said on X that it had activated its emergency operations, mobilized crews, and advised residents to brace the power outages ahead of the storm.
Lawyer Joseph Niskar, who moved to Puerto Rico in 2017 from Michigan after Hurricane Maria struck the island, is anticipating extended periods of time without water or electricity, much like many islands experienced during Hurricane Fiona in 2022. He said, “I bought a generator big enough to run my refrigerator and fans to keep cool, but will need gasoline that can be hard to get because a lot of people wait until the last minute and there can be long lines.”
