TOA BAJA, Puerto Rico (AP) — Ernesto strengthened right into a hurricane Wednesday because it dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico and left half of all prospects within the U.S. territory with out energy because it threatened to turn out to be a significant storm en path to Bermuda.

The storm was situated about 225 miles (365 kilometers) northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico and was shifting over open waters. It had most sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was shifting northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

Tropical storm warnings have been discontinued for Puerto Rico and its outlying islands of Vieques and Culebra and for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

“I do know it was a protracted night time listening to that wind howl,” U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. mentioned in a information convention.

An island-wide blackout was reported in St. Croix, and at the least six cellular phone towers have been knocked offline throughout the U.S. territory, mentioned Daryl Jaschen, emergency administration director. He added that the airports in St. Croix and St. Thomas have been anticipated to reopen at noon.

Faculties and authorities businesses remained closed within the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, the place heavy flooding was reported in a number of areas, forcing officers to dam roads, a few of which have been strewn with bushes. Greater than 140 flights have been canceled to and from Puerto Rico.

“Plenty of rain, plenty of rain,” Culebra Mayor Edilberto Romero mentioned in a cellphone interview. “Now we have bushes which have fallen on public roads. There are some roofs which can be blown off.”

Flash flood warnings remained Wednesday afternoon due to ongoing rains.

Within the north coastal city of Toa Baja, which is susceptible to flooding, dozens of residents moved their vehicles to larger areas.

“Everyone seems to be fearful,” mentioned Víctor Báez as he sipped beer with mates and watched the rain fall. He solely briefly celebrated that he had energy. “It may exit once more.”

Ernesto is forecast to maneuver via open waters for the remainder of the week and make its closest strategy to Bermuda on Friday and Saturday. It’s anticipated to turn out to be a significant Class 3 storm after which weaken to a Class 2 because it nears Bermuda.

“Residents want to arrange now earlier than situations worsen,” mentioned Bermuda’s Nationwide Safety Minister Michael Weeks. “Now just isn’t the time for complacency.”

Forecasters additionally warned of heavy swells alongside the U.S. East Coast.

“That signifies that anyone who goes to the seashore, even when the climate is gorgeous and good, it could possibly be harmful … with these rip currents,” mentioned Robbie Berg, warning coordination meteorologist with the Nationwide Hurricane Heart.

Between 4 to six inches of rain is anticipated within the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and between 6 to eight inches in Puerto Rico, with as much as 10 inches in remoted areas.

Late on Tuesday, the U.S. Federal Emergency Administration Company had warned individuals in each U.S. territories to arrange for “prolonged energy outages.”

Greater than 720,000 prospects have been with out energy in Puerto Rico, together with 23 hospitals working on turbines, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi mentioned Wednesday. He added that crews are assessing harm and that it was too early to inform when electrical energy can be restored.

“We try to get the system up and operating as quickly as we are able to,” mentioned Juan Saca, president of Luma Vitality, the corporate that operates transmission and distribution of energy in Puerto Rico.

Luma Vitality mentioned earlier Wednesday that its precedence was to revive energy to hospitals, the island’s water and sewer firm and different important companies. Some 235,000 prospects have been with out water because of energy outages, Pierluisi mentioned.

Puerto Rico’s energy grid was razed by Hurricane Maria in September 2017 as a Class 4 storm, and it stays frail as crews proceed to rebuild the system.

“It’s simply irritating that this a few years later, we proceed to see one thing like a storm trigger such widespread outages in Puerto Rico, notably given the danger that these outages may cause for susceptible households in Puerto Rico,” mentioned Charlotte Gossett Navarro, the Hispanic Federation’s chief director for Puerto Rico.

Not everybody can afford turbines on the island of three.2 million individuals with a greater than 40% poverty fee.

“Individuals already ready themselves with candles,” mentioned Lucía Rodríguez, a 31-year-old avenue vendor.

Rooftop photo voltaic methods are scarce however continue to grow in Puerto Rico, the place fossil fuels generate 94% of the island’s electrical energy. On the time María hit, there have been 8,000 rooftop installations, in contrast with greater than 117,000 presently, in keeping with the Institute for Vitality Economics and Monetary Evaluation.

Ernesto is the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of this yr’s Atlantic hurricane season. Since 1966, solely 4 different years have had three or extra hurricanes within the Atlantic by mid-August, in keeping with Philip Klotzbach, Colorado State College hurricane researcher.

The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this yr due to file heat ocean temperatures. It forecast 17 to 25 named storms, with 4 to seven main hurricanes.

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Related Press journalists Julie Walker in New York and Gabriela Aoun in San Diego contributed.