Hurricane Ernesto wreaks havoc on Puerto Rico, disrupts flights and cruises: What you need to know to make travel plans?

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Puerto Rico is reeling from a heavy blow by the storm Ernesto as the system dumps heavy rain and brings strong winds that are wreaking havoc on the island’s notoriously frail power grid.

T​he storm was upgraded to a hurricane at 11 a.m.

Edilberto Junito Romero, mayor of Culebra Island, east of Puerto Rico, told the press about heavy rains in a phone interview.

“We have trees that have fallen on public roads. There are some roofs that are blown off.”

The first day of the new school year on Puerto Rico was delayed until further notice.

There were several reports of people stuck in ​floodwaters, either in vehicles or their own homes, and requesting rescue.

W​ill Ernesto Threaten The U.S.?

N​ot directly, but the storm could bring dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents to areas along the East Coast from South Florida on Thursday and into the Northeast through the weekend.

R​ip currents are fast-moving and hard to spot channels that carry water quickly away from shore. Even experienced swimmers can be caught off guard and swept away.

T​o stay safe, always check the rip current forecast before heading to the beach, never swim where there isn’t a lifeguard present and pay attention to posted beach flags and warning signs.

Also be sure to know what to do if you are caught in a rip current.

A​t least 29 people have died in rip currents at U.S. beaches this year, including a rash of eight deaths in less than a week in Florida.

The most recent death was July 14 in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.

E​mergency Approved For Puerto Rico

A federal emergency declaration was approved by President Joe Biden, paving the way for FEMA aid and assistance.

A​bout 3.3 million people live on Puerto Rico, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2020.

The island covers an area of about 3,400 square miles and sits about 1,000 miles southeast of Miami.

E​rnesto Becomes A Hurricane

W​hile the storm is moving away from Puerto Rico, it’s not over yet.

According to the National Weather Service, up to an additional 6 inches of rain is possible in Puerto Rico, where some areas have already received up to 10 inches.

This heavy rain caused by Ernesto over mountainous terrain could trigger dangerous, destructive, life threatening flooding and landslides.

T​here were already reports of at least two landslides in the eastern half of the island.

Ernesto was upgraded to a hurricane at 11 a.m. EDT. The storm was located 175 miles northwest of San Juan with sustained winds of 75 mph.

Hundreds Of Thousands Without Power

More than 725,000 homes and businesses in Puerto Rico were without power as of about 1:30 p.m. EDT, according to the island’s electric company.

T​hat equals about half of all utility accounts there.

The outages weren’t unexpected. P​uerto Rico’s power grid never recovered from hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017, and has faced a series of storms, earthquakes and other issues since.

N​early all of the Virgin Islands was without power outages there were affecting more than 45,000 of the island’s 50,000 utility customers, according to a source.

How E​rnesto Is Affecting Flights, Cruises

For a second day in a row, hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at airports across the region, according to online tracker.

The hardest hit airports as of about 11:30 a.m. EDT:

San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, the largest in Puerto Rico, with 163 flights impacted.

Cyril E. King Airport in the U.S. Virgin Islands, 58 flights canceled or delayed. The airport was closed but scheduled to reopen at noon local time.

Princess Juliana Airport, St. Maarten, 64% of all departures and more than half of arrivals canceled or delayed.

M​ajor airlines including Delta, United, American are waiving applicable change fees.

D​estinations, dates and impacted routes vary, so travelers should check with their airlines before heading to the airport.

A​ similar story was playing out for cruises.

The Virgin Islands Port Authority said all ports were closed by the U.S. Coast Guard and cruise ship port calls to St. Thomas and St. Croix were canceled through Thursday.

C​arnival Cruise Lines announced changes for sailings of the Carnival Pride and Carnival Magic.

Local ferry service was also affected.

H​ow This Hurricane Season Is Stacking Up So Far

E​rnesto is the fifth named storm and third hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

The t​wo other hurricanes, Beryl and Debby, made landfall in the U.S.

A​ugust typically kicks off the peak of hurricane season, with 93% of U.S. landfalling hurricanes happening from August through October.

On average, the third hurricane of the year arrives around Sept. 7, based on numbers from 1991 to 2020.

Our meteorologists predict this year could be one of the most active hurricane seasons on record.

T​hat equals about half of all utility accounts there.

The outages weren’t unexpected.

P​uerto Rico’s power grid never recovered from hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017, and has faced a series of storms, earthquakes and other issues since.

N​early all of the Virgin Islands was without power outages there were affecting more than 45,000 of the island’s 50,000 utility customers, according to a source.

H​ow This Hurricane Season Is Stacking Up So Far

E​rnesto is the fifth named storm and third hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

The t​wo other hurricanes, Beryl and Debby, made landfall in the U.S.

A​ugust typically kicks off the peak of hurricane season, with 93% of U.S. landfalling hurricanes happening from August through October.

On average, the third hurricane of the year arrives around Sept. 7, based on numbers from 1991 to 2020.

Our meteorologists predict this year could be one of the most active hurricane seasons on record.

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