Tropical Storm Ernesto: Puerto Rico activates National Guard as Tropical Storm Ernesto approaches
Tropical Storm Ernesto: Puerto Rico is on high alert with the National Guard activated, and school bells silenced as Tropical Storm Ernesto nears. This storm, birthed in the Atlantic this Monday, is the fifth of this year’s Atlantic hurricane tally.
Warnings for a tropical storm are up for Puerto Rico, US and British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barts, and St. Maarten. Ernesto’s current coordinates put it approximately 295 miles (475 kilometres) from Antigua, shrouded in maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and travelling at 28 mph (44 kph) in a west-northwest direction.
Forecasts from the National Hurricane Center shows Ernesto knocking on the doors of Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands Tuesday evening, with floods and landslides in tow. Ernesto Morales from San Juan’s National Weather Service advises folks to gear up for six to eight inches of rain, even more in some patches, along with hurricane-strength winds expected to rough up northeast Puerto Rico late Tuesday and into early Wednesday.
Nino Correa, the official with the keys to Puerto Rico’s emergency management, in a press meet, reminded, “We cannot let our guard down,” stressing the fickle path of the storm. Relating: | Winter storm Debby revisits South Carolina, flagging flooding fears Albert Bryan Jr., the head honcho of the neighboring US Virgin Islands, has asked people to respect the intensity of the storm, calling it a vital test before the hurricane season hits its stride.
The weather channels indicate that Ernesto could graduate to a hurricane by early Thursday as it executes a northward turn toward Bermuda. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests an above-average hurricane season, thanks to record-warm ocean temperatures, with a forecast of 17 to 25 named storms and four to seven major hurricanes. As Puerto Rico girds itself for Ernesto’s onslaught, officials implore residents to stay clued in and follow safety measures.
