HAMILTON, Bermuda – Hurricane Ernesto is expected to approach Bermuda later Friday and bring strong winds, a dangerous storm surge and life-threatening flooding.

The Category 2 hurricane’s latest threat to the British territory comes after the strengthening storm slammed portions of the Caribbean just days ago as a strong tropical storm.

The U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands felt the full force of the storm, including numerous reports of flash flooding, water rescues, power outages and damage to homes and infrastructure.

“Let me be clear,” Bermuda’s Minister of National Security Hon. Michael Weeks, JP, MP, said during a news conference. “While Bermuda has been fortunate in recent years to avoid the worst impacts of hurricanes, we have to take each storm seriously and prepare accordingly.”

According to the latest information from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Ernesto is expected to bring gusty winds and the potential for flooding rain.

“As I’ve said before,” Weeks continued. “It only takes one storm to cause significant damage and disrupt our way of life.”

Weeks warned that Ernesto’s winds, rain and flooding would likely knock out power to residents across the islands.

What’s the forecast for Hurricane Ernesto?

According to the latest advisory from the NHC, Hurricane Ernesto was located about 200 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and was moving to the north-northeast.

Ernesto’s maximum sustained winds are 100 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

“Some strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and Ernesto is forecast to be a large hurricane near Bermuda on Saturday and maintain hurricane strength through the weekend,” the NHC said.

Where are watches and warnings in effect for Hurricane Ernesto?

According to the NHC, the Bermuda Weather Service has issued a Hurricane Warning for Bermuda.

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, and is typically issued about 36 hours before the impacts from a potential hurricane arrive.

“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the NHC warned.

The NHC said Ernesto is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 6-12 inches in Bermuda, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 15 inches. This rainfall will likely result in considerable life-threatening flash flooding, the NHC warned.

Where are watches and warnings in effect for Hurricane Ernesto?

At this time, it doesn’t appear Ernesto will directly impact the mainland U.S. However, large swells generated by Ernesto are expected to reach the East Coast late this week and into the weekend. The large waves will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip currents at beaches.

“Swells generated by Ernesto are affecting portions of the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Swells are expected to spread up the east coast of the United States today and continue into the weekend, and could reach portions of Atlantic Canada by late Saturday,” the NHC said Friday. “These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”

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 have been blasted by the effects of then-Tropical Storm Ernesto as the storm moved across the region 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.

“Today, where we were looking at one of the major threats for the mainland here was, in fact, all this rain turning into that flood threat,” Valdes said Wednesday. “We’ve seen some of it really pull up in those mountainous regions where you get a lot more rain that falls, but you also have a lot of it that moves, really, into low-lying areas and low-lying rivers.”

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.

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.

According to PowerOutage.us, more than 46,000 power outages were reported during the storm’s peak.

Schools were closed across the region on Tuesday, and government officials for the U.S. Virgin Islands said government offices would be closed on Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Ernesto made landfall in the British Virgin Islands on Tuesday night with 65-mph winds, making it a strong tropical storm.

Video from the area showed the torrential rain and damaging winds whipping across the region as the full effects of Tropical Storm Ernesto were being felt.

There were several reports of hurricane-force wind gusts across Puerto Rico.

An 86-mph wind gust was reported in Culebrita, Puerto Rico, as Hurricane Ernesto moved across the region.

Hurricane-force wind gusts were also reported in Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico and Buck Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.