Hurricane Ernesto Wreaks Havoc on Bermuda

Hurricane Ernesto battered Bermuda with strong winds, 35-foot waves, and heavy rain causing widespread power outages. Approximately 70% of the territory’s 36,000 customers lost power. As the eye of the storm passed over, it continued to pummel the island with high winds and torrential rains, prompting warnings and safety advisories.

Hurricane Ernesto struck Bermuda early Saturday, unleashing powerful winds and 35-foot waves that drenched the British island with rain likely to cause deadly flooding. Power outages impacted more than 70% of the territory's 36,000 customers, leaving about 26,100 people without electricity.

The storm's eye passed over the western part of the archipelago early in the day, then moved towards the north-northeast. The U.S. National Weather Service reported that as of 11 a.m. EDT, the storm was 50 miles away from Bermuda. With hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall, the island braced for several more hours of adverse weather conditions.

Bermuda authorities reported temporary calm as the storm's eye passed overhead, but maximum sustained winds of 80 mph surrounded the eye. High seas reached 35 feet, while the U.S. weather service predicted up to 9 inches of rain, leading to potential flash flooding. Dangerous coastal flooding was anticipated across much of the island, home to around 64,000 people. Electric utility BELCO detailed that the entire island was nearly affected by outages, with post-storm assessments set to begin in the afternoon.

(With inputs from agencies.)