Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in Bermuda on Saturday morning, bringing “hazardous weather” to the Atlantic island, which is continuing even as the storm moves away, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The hurricane made landfall on the island at around 4:30 a.m. as a Category 1 storm.
A tropical storm warning is still in effect in Bermuda, where 6 to 9 inches of rain may produce “life-threatening” flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas, the hurricane center said in an 11 a.m. update. Flooding along the coast is also possible on the island, paired with “large and destructive waves.”
“Hurricane-force gusts are possible on Bermuda for a few more hours,” the hurricane center said. “Tropical storm conditions are likely to continue through this evening or tonight.”
Ernesto was about 60 miles northeast of Bermuda on Saturday afternoon and continuing to move north-northeast at 7 mph. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
The current motion of the hurricane is expected to continue through early Sunday, with an acceleration towards the northeast expected late Monday into Tuesday.
“On the forecast track, the center of Ernesto will slowly move away from Bermuda today and pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday and Monday night,” the hurricane center said. Dangerous beach conditions will also continue along the East Coast until early next week.
In a statement, the government of Bermuda warned that although the eye of the storm has moved north of the island, the southern eye wall is still expected to make its impact.
“Do not be fooled by winds not ramping up quickly… we still have the 2nd half of Ernesto set to move over us,” the government said on X.
Over 26,000 utility customers do not have power in Bermuda, representing about 72% of the island, according to local officials. In a news briefing, Michelle Pitcher, director of the Bermuda Weather Service, told residents to be mindful of the hurricane-force winds the island will be experiencing for the rest of the morning.
“And then it looks like winds will be decreasing throughout this afternoon. However, we’re still going to have strong tropical storm-force winds until closer to this evening,” she said.
There have not been reports of any major damage in Bermuda yet, officials said, but emergency services have also been on limited patrols due to the strong winds.
Video captured by an NBC News crew in Hamilton, the island’s capital city, showed some debris, including downed palm fronds and tree branches, but no damage to buildings. In Southhampton, strong winds could be seen blowing through the palm trees. There were also downed trees, power lines and branches in the area.
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