Ernesto weakens to tropical storm but could regain hurricane strength as it heads toward Atlantic Canada
Several U.S. East Coast beaches were closed to swimmers over the weekend because of dangerous waves and increased rip currents. At least two deaths in South Carolina have been attributed to the powerful rip currents that developed because of Ernesto, and those dangerous beach conditions are expected to last for days from Florida to the Northeast.
Ernesto expected to regain hurricane strength as storm starts to zoom across North Atlantic
Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday after battering Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane, but forecasters say it will likely restrengthen into a hurricane as it continues to move across the North Atlantic Ocean toward Canada.
HAMILTON, Bermuda – Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm as it slowly pulled away from Bermuda Sunday morning, but forecasters say the storm could regain hurricane strength as it tracks into the northern Atlantic, where parts of Newfoundland, Canada, could be threatened by Ernesto early this week.
Ernesto made landfall on the western side of Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane early Saturday, slamming the island with 85-mph winds, heavy rain, large surf and dangerous storm surge.
But the storm has had a deadly impact on the U.S. hundreds of miles away.
This satellite image shows Tropical Storm Ernesto spinning across the North Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024.
(NOAA)
At least two deaths in South Carolina have been attributed to the powerful rip currents that developed because of Ernesto, and those dangerous beach conditions are expected to last for days from Florida to the Northeast.
On Sunday, the harbormaster for Nantucket in Massachusetts reported that lifeguards had to save two distressed swimmers who ignored beach closures along the island's South Shore.
"By entering the water today, you are endangering the lives of those who are trying to protect you!," the Nantucket Harbormaster wrote on social media Sunday.
WATCH: HURRICANE ERNESTO'S SWELL CAUSES NORTH CAROLINA HOUSE TO COLLAPSE INTO OCEAN
Stormy conditions continue on Bermuda as Ernesto moves away
Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in Bermuda early Saturday, and stormy weather is expected to continue for most of the day as the storm moves away slowly.
Video taken during the hurricane's arrival in Bermuda showed waves battering the coastline. More than 5,000 customers were without power on Friday evening. By Saturday morning, that number had grown to more than 26,000 customers, according to BELCO, the power company that services Bermuda. The utility company said that equates to about 72% of its customers.
As of Sunday, those outage numbers dropped to more than 14,000.
SEE THE IMPACTS HURRICANE ERNESTO WILL HAVE ON US COAST
Scenes from Bermuda during Hurricane Ernesto
Hurricane Ernesto was a Category 2 cyclone when it approached the British territory.
What's the forecast for Tropical Storm Ernesto?
(FOX WEATHER)
According to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm and had winds of 70 mph with some higher gusts. The NHC said some re-intensification is possible later Sunday, and Ernesto could regain hurricane strength.
After that, the NHC said Ernesto will likely become post-tropical near southeastern Newfoundland, Canada, by Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Tropical Storm Ernesto is currently located just under 600 miles to the south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and about 880 miles southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland, and is moving to the north-northeast at 16 mph.
2024 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON GUIDE: HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR'S STORMS
(FOX Weather)
The NHC said Ernesto should pick up some additional forward speed later Sunday, followed by a turn to the northeast and then east-northeast on Monday and Tuesday. On that track, the center of Ernesto will pass near southeastern Newfoundland from late Monday into Tuesday morning.
As a result, a Tropical Storm or Hurricane Watch might be issued for portions of southeastern Newfoundland later Sunday, according to the NHC.
Ernesto impacting US mainland despite being hundreds of miles away
Ernesto hasn't directly impacted the mainland U.S. However, large swells generated by Ernesto reached the East Coast this weekend. The large waves are causing life-threatening surf and rip currents at beaches.
Officials on Nantucket in Massachusetts said that all South Shore beaches had been closed to swimmers on Saturday and Sunday, but some people who ignored those warnings needed to be rescued after getting caught in a rip current.
"Please stay out of the water for your safety and the safety of our team," the Nantucket Harbormaster said in a post on Instagram. "By entering the water today you are endangering the lives of those who are trying to protect you. STAY OUT!!"
Similarly, officials in the town of Duck on the North Carolina coast are flying double-red flags because of dangerous waves and rip currents.
WHAT DO THE FLAGS AT THE BEACH MEAN?
Swells produced by Ernesto led to at least one house collapsing along North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Friday, with the threat of problems caused by high ocean levels expected to continue into the week ahead.
VIDEO: North Carolina home collapses into ocean during Ernesto
Video taken Friday from North Carolina’s Outer Banks showed a house falling into the Atlantic Ocean. Scenes of unoccupied homes collapsing have become a common sight along the coastline due to severe erosion. (Chicamacomico Banks Fire & Rescue)
Farther south, around Hilton Head, South Carolina, local authorities reported the deaths of two swimmers. Both are believed to be victims of rip currents.
The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said a 65-year-old man and a 73-year-old man received CPR after being brought back to shore by lifeguards during separate incidents on Friday.
The National Weather Service had warned of a high rip current risk and a surf height of at least 2-3 feet near the Georgia-South Carolina border before the tragedies.
Ernesto blasts Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands with flooding rain, damaging winds
The U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were blasted by the effects of then-Tropical Storm Ernesto as the storm moved across the region last Tuesday night and into Wednesday.
Numerous Flash Flood Warnings were issued across Puerto Rico, including in San Juan, where FOX Weather Correspondent Nicole Valdes was hunkering down and gathering information on how the storm impacted the island.
Valdes reported that more than 700,000 people on the island were without power after the tropical storm passed and strengthened into a hurricane.
Nearly 10 inches of rain fell in Naguabo, while the community of Barran picked up over 8 inches. More than a half-foot of rain also fell in Juncos, Villaba and Vieques.
Strengthening Hurricane Ernesto knocks out power to thousands in Puerto Rico
Strong wind gusts from Ernesto knocked out power to 700,000 people in Puerto Rico, nearly half the island, reports FOX Weather's Nicole Valdes. Ernesto continues moving toward Bermuda with impacts expected later this week.
Flooding was a major concern in Puerto Rico, and there were reports of people being trapped in vehicles and homes as rushing floodwaters cut off escape routes.
Power outages also skyrocketed across the region, with Luma Energy reporting more than 560,000 outages island-wide at the height of the storm.
But it wasn't only Puerto Rico that felt the storm’s effects.
The U.S. Virgin Islands were also blasted with strong winds and heavy rain, and a majority of the islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix were without power.
Watch: Crews work to clear debris after Tropical Storm Ernesto slams Puerto Rico
A video shared by FOX Weather Correspondent Nicole Vales shows crews working to clear trees and debris that covered roads in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, after Tropical Storm Ernesto.