Tropical Storm Ernesto lashed several islands in the eastern Caribbean on Tuesday with heavy rains and strengthened on its way to Puerto Rico, where widespread power outages are expected and shelters have been set up for the population.
Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi explained at the last press conference of the day that “the impact on winds will be felt at midnight and will continue to be felt tomorrow.”
Pierluisi also warned that maritime conditions are “very bad” and that “heavy rain is expected for most of the day” on Wednesday.
Ernesto has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (60 miles) and could become a hurricane as it moves north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, according to the bulletin from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States.
The NHC has issued a hurricane watch for the Virgin Islands and the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra, while Puerto Rico is under a tropical storm warning.
Ernesto is expected to cause flooding in Puerto Rico both on the coast, with breaking waves of up to 5 meters, and inland, with between 15 and 25 centimeters of rain expected.
Ports closed and flights cancelled
Puerto Rican authorities have suspended maritime transport to Vieques and Culebra until further notice, while closing the island’s seaports.
At least 18 flights were cancelled on Tuesday at Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.
In addition, public schools, universities, courts and other government offices, except for essential ones, will remain closed from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Puerto Ricans bought water, food and fuel
Many shopping malls also closed earlier than usual on Tuesday, causing many Puerto Ricans to wait in long lines to stock up on food and at gas stations to fill up their fuel tanks.
In response to complaints from some citizens about the lack of fuel, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) assured that there is enough supply on the island of both gasoline and diesel for at least 37 days.
To protect their homes, many residents placed storm shutters on their windows and collected belongings from outside.
“The idea is always to prevent and put up shutters for any projectile that comes or to protect against possible robberies when the power goes out,” said Yuber Echeverry, a resident of the Río Piedras neighborhood in San Juan.
While putting shutters on his business, Echeverry explained that he made “the necessary purchases,” such as water and nonperishable food, and filled his vehicle with gasoline.
Blackouts are expected
Puerto Rico’s governor warned that “interruptions” in power service are to be expected, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urged people to prepare for “major power outages.”
Power outages have already affected other Caribbean islands that Ernesto visited on this day, including Antigua, while several roads in Guadeloupe were flooded.
Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for Saint Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy.
The U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, which are under a hurricane watch, have closed schools and nonessential government offices.
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