Hurricane Ernesto upgraded to Category 2 as it barrels toward Bermuda

Ernesto strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane late Thursday as it barreled toward Bermuda threatening major damage over the weekend from powerful winds and heavy rain, after leaving hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans without power.

Ernesto was located 410 miles south-southwest of Bermuda with sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 p.m. update. Moving at 14 mph, the storm is expected to begin dumping heavy rain over Bermuda on Friday before passing near or over the island on Saturday.

“Preparations on Bermuda should be completed before Friday afternoon,” the NHC warned late Thursday. “Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.”

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were recovering from Wednesday’s deluge. At its peak, half of Puerto Rico’s utility customers – as many as 730,000 – were in the dark. As of Thursday at 11 p.m. ET, about 277,989 homes and businesses, 18% of customers, were still without power, according to the LUMA Energy website. In addition, about 258,000 customers still lacked drinking water by 6 p.m., El Nuevo Dia newspaper reported.

Flood warnings were still in effect across Puerto Rico as rivers continued to crest and threaten neighborhoods and low-lying areas. Over the last 48 hours, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands received half a foot of rain, while the total for parts of southeastern Puerto Rico climbed to 10 inches.

The National Weather Service issued river flood warnings for parts of western Puerto Rico late Thursday until Friday morning. The San Juan office urged residents to be especially careful on the road at night, noting most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

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Developments:

∎ Swells likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions will spread toward Bermuda and the rest of the Bahamas on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

∎ As Ernesto moves through the Atlantic, it continues to disrupt cruise ships. This week several Carnival and Norwegian cruises had their itineraries altered by the intensifying storm, with some skipping stops in Puerto Rico or avoiding the eastern Caribbean altogether.

Dangerous rip currents, life-threatening surf expected along East Coast

Even though Ernesto may not come closer than 800 miles from the shore, beachgoers along the coast from Florida to Nova Scotia are being warned of dangerous rip currents and surf along the Atlantic Coast starting Friday and continuing through the weekend as the hurricane moves north.

Rip currents pull people away from shore and can rapidly increase in speed, the U.S. Lifesaving Association warns. More than 100 people die in the U.S. every year from rip currents, according to a scientific review of the nonprofit group’s data. They also account for about 80% of lifeguard rescues on beaches.

“Best to stay out of the ocean Friday through Sunday (at least),” said the National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina, which expects to issue a high-surf advisory for breaking waves 6 feet and larger for Friday.

In Maine, high surf will be a concern along the coast over the weekend as Ernesto continues its northward trek, the weather service said.

“Beachgoers should be aware of a significant risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents, and stay out of the water if advised by lifeguards,” the hurricane center said. “Surf and rip currents are also possible on the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas during the next few days.”

− Dinah Voyles Pulver

No power, no water, and record-high temperature

Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans had to contend with temperatures in the mid-90s and high humidity without power or running water, as the aftermath of Ernesto brought back memories of powerful Hurricane Maria ravaging the island in 2017.

The National Weather Service office in San Juan reported a record-setting 95 degrees at Puerto Rico’s largest airport Thursday, a day after Ernesto brought widespread flooding, high winds, and significant damage to the U.S. territory’s fragile electrical grid.

The storm also produced southern winds with a heating effect that prompted the weather service to issue an advisory, saying “a period of dangerously hot and humid conditions are expected” across northern Puerto Rico. Those conditions prevailed in the days after Maria, which left large parts of the island in the dark for several weeks and was linked to about 3,000 deaths.

Construction worker Ramón Mercedes Paredes, 41, told The Associated Press he planned to spend Thursday night outdoors in an effort to cool down. “I haven’t slept at all,” he said. “I haven’t even been able to take a shower.”

Bermuda resident prepares, but isn’t panicking, as Ernesto approaches

Jason Lawrence spent all Wednesday preparing for Ernesto. The lifelong Bermuda resident had four of his boats taken out of the water and tied down before he lugged his outdoor furniture inside his house and nailed plywood over the windows.

Lawrence, 38, also helped his parents and brother secure their homes. At his grocery store, M. Soares & Sons, in the Spanish Point neighborhood, he unpacked deliveries of water, bread, batteries, and canned goods Thursday.

“I feel like most people are all getting their plywood and bunkering down today,” he said. “This afternoon and tomorrow should be pretty busy for us in the grocery stores.”

Lawrence plans to weather the storm at his home on the north shore, just yards away from the ocean, with his wife and two boys, ages 1 and 6.

“We don’t really start to panic unless it gets up into a Category 3,” he said. “The structures down here are different from those in the States. The houses stand up well, so once you’re all packed up you’re pretty good.”

The National Hurricane Center says Ernesto “is forecast to be a large hurricane near Bermuda on Saturday.”

Bermuda braces for ‘the power of nature’

Bermuda Minister of National Security Michael Weeks warned residents and tourists to prepare immediately for Ernesto’s arrival.

Weeks said the storm will unleash a barrage of dangerous weather conditions including flooding rain, high storm surge, and strong winds that bring a “high likelihood of the loss of electricity across the island,” which has a population of about 65,000.

The National Hurricane Center estimates Ernesto may unload 6 to 12 inches of rain in Bermuda, with up to 15 inches in some areas, leading to “considerable life-threatening flash flooding.”

“While Bermuda has been fortunate in recent years to avoid the worst impacts of hurricanes, we have to take each storm seriously and prepare accordingly,” he said. “It only takes one storm to cause significant damage and disrupt our way of life.”

He urged people to secure their property, including outdoor furniture and boats, and said they should stock up on food, medicine, and batteries. Weeks added that officials will meet Thursday and make decisions regarding the operations of the main island’s causeway, airport and public transportation services.

“Do not be lulled into thinking that you can wait until the last minute – the window to prepare is closing rapidly,“ he said. “This is not the time to underestimate the power of nature.”

Bermuda still calm but Ernesto ‘well on its way’

Rain had not yet arrived in Bermuda by Thursday afternoon, but Jessica Burns said she could see Hurricane Ernesto approaching when she looked over the southern horizon.

“It’s well on its way,” said Burns, 29, adding that Wednesday night she was awoken by bright flashes of lightning outside her window

Winds remained calm Thursday, Burns said, but the ocean was getting more active.

− Claire Thornton

Where is Hurricane Ernesto?

‘Peak of hurricane season is right around the corner’

In a revised forecast issued earlier this month, the federal government said a “highly active” hurricane season was likely to continue in the Atlantic.

“Atmospheric and oceanic conditions have set the stage for an extremely active hurricane season that could rank among the busiest on record,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its forecast.

The NOAA predicted 17 to 24 named storms, and about 8 to 13 gaining hurricane strength, higher than the average of 14 named storms and seven hurricanes. Those numbers include four other storms that formed this year, such as the deadly Hurricane Beryl and Hurricane Debby.

Residents across the eastern U.S. have been recovering from Debby, which caused dangerous floods up and down the seaboard. Last month, Beryl became the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record − devastating parts of the Caribbean and at one point leaving over 1.3 million homes and businesses without power in Texas.

“The hurricane season got off to an early and violent start with Hurricane Beryl,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said in a statement. “NOAA’s update to the hurricane seasonal outlook is an important reminder that the peak of hurricane season is right around the corner, when historically the most significant impacts from hurricanes and tropical storms tend to occur.”

Contributing: Charles Ventura, Minnah Arshad, Doyle Rice, and Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY; Reuters