US East Coast High Alert As Relentless Hurricane Attacks Continue to Hit America

East Coast residents are warned to avoid the beaches, as Category 1 Hurricane Ernesto already left its mark on Bermuda and the US Virgin Islands.

Another Big One 

2024 is turning out to be a big year for hurricanes, as the third one of this year’s Atlantic season (and the fifth named storm) known as Hurricane Ernesto hit Bermuda early Saturday morning, bringing with it between 7 to 9 inches of rain. 

Which Parts Were Hit? 

The storm Ernesto transformed into a hurricane last week as it passed Puerto Rico before reaching Bermuda, flooding certain areas of the island. 

Not Over Yet 

By late Saturday, Ernesto had calmed down to a tropical storm, but was upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane merely a day later as it switched direction and moved further out into the Atlantic. 

Avoid the Water 

As a result, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued warnings for people to avoid East Coast beaches which were hit by powerful swells and rip currents. 

Slowly Recovering 

By Sunday morning, Bermuda Security Minister Michael Weeks said that businesses were starting to open again after the storm’s destruction, claiming that “we are on our way back to living a life of normalcy.”

No Major Damages 

And as stated by Bermuda’s Disaster Risk Reduction Mitigation Team, Lyndon Raynor, no big infrastructure damages were reported. 

Powerless 

By noon on Sunday, Bermuda’s utility provider Belco claimed that over 12,200 customers (about 34% of the island’s residents) lost power due to the storm. Multiple trees were also uprooted and toppled across the island.  

Hitting the Islands 

Puerto Rico also wasn’t left untouched, as Ernesto cut off electricity to hundreds of thousands of residents on both the island and the US Virgin Islands last week as it passed north of the area. 

The result was that at least 23 hospitals had to rely on generators for power. Schools and various roads also had to be closed for safety reasons. 

Strong Winds 

At the moment, Ernesto’s maximum sustained winds are reaching 90 mph, with gusts even stronger. 

As per the NHC, the hurricane powered up slightly on Monday, yet is predicted to calm down and, most likely by Tuesday, become a post-tropical cyclone. 

Moving Up 

Ernesto was about 250 miles southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland, and according to the NHC, was traveling in a north-eastern direction at about 26 mph. 

Switching Direction? 

It’s anticipated that the storm will shift its trajectory towards the northeast and east-northeast and speed up in the coming days.  

Close to Canada 

Following that route, the center of the hurricane, about 520 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, will travel past southeastern Newfoundland late Monday night and early Tuesday. 

Stay Safe, People!  

Warning people to stay safe, David Zelinksy, lead meteorologist with the hurricane center, stated on Monday: “We would certainly encourage anyone going to beaches, really, anywhere along the U.S. East Coast to just pay attention to whatever flags are up, whatever lifeguards are saying, and stay out of the water if it’s not safe.” 

Where Will It Hit? 

With the hurricane’s strength and speed, it’s expected to impact areas of the Canadian Atlantic early this week. High surf, strong winds, and rip currents are likely to occur in parts of Newfoundland. 

Reported Death 

According to local emergency management, at least one person already lost their lives because of Hurricane Ernesto: a 41-year-old man drowned after getting caught in a rip current at Surf City, North Carolina, on Saturday. 

More Lives Lost 

In addition, two other men also died in rip currents off South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island the day before.

The two men, 66-year-old Ralph Jamieson and 73-year-old Leonard Schenz, were both from Ohio. 

Don’t Blame Ernesto… Yet 

However, it’s not 100% conclusive that the two men died because of the Ernesto storm, as it could take weeks for autopsy results to be finalized, according to David Ott, Beaufort County Coroner. 

Forget About Swimming 

A coastal flood advisory and warnings of a high risk for rip currents along the Atlantic coast were issued by the US National Weather Service until Monday evening. 

According to the statement, the rip currents “can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water”.

Not Connected to Connecticut 

Meanwhile, weather officials have stated that the storm that hit Connecticut with about 10 inches of rain on Sunday was not linked to Ernesto.

That storm resulted in flooded basements, disintegrated roads, multiple rescues, and at least one casualty. 

More Out There 

No additional tropical systems in the Atlantic Basin are being observed for potential development as of Monday. 

However, in the Eastern- and Central Pacific, Tropical Storm Gilma, along with three other disturbances, is currently being monitored by forecasters.

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