Hurricane Ernesto forecast to intensify, approaching Bermuda

Ernesto was classified a Category 2 storm and still pinwheeling toward Bermuda as of Friday morning. More than 400,000 people were without power in Puerto Rico Thursday morning after the storm passed by the island on Wednesday, according to LUMA Energy, the utility company that provides power to the island chain. Ernesto strengthened into a hurricane after passing Puerto Rico where it dumped as much as 10 inches of rain and triggered floods across the island, according to the National Weather Service. President Joe Biden on Tuesday approved emergency funding from FEMA to repair infrastructure damage caused by the storm, said Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.

Where is the storm going next? Ernesto is expected to strengthen as it moves toward Bermuda over the next two days, according to the National Hurricane Center, and it could reach a Category 3 classification. The storm is not expected to make direct landfall as it moves northeast through the Atlantic. The NHC warned beachgoers along the United States’ east coast that the storm could bring dangerous rip currents and high waves.

Dig deeper: Listen to Paul Butler’s report on The World and Everything in It about the cleanup after Hurricane Beryl.