Hurricane Ernesto Heading Toward Bermuda After Ripping Through Puerto Rico

After causing massive damage in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Ernesto is on a path to devastate Bermuda next.

This Saildrone, sometimes called a robot surfboard, was sent to intercept the northern edge of powerful Hurricane Beryl on July 2, about 115 miles south of Puerto Rico. / Provided by Saildrone and NOAA / USA TODAY NETWORK

Traveling to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is treacherous at this time of the year. Hurricane season is upon us and after Debby crushed the southeast United States earlier in August, Ernesto is now doing the same.

Ernesto strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday as it passed through Puerto Rico. Maximum winds of 85 miles per hour were recorded when an advisory was sent out by the National Hurricane Center around 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

"Satellite imagery indicates that Ernesto is gradually strengthening," the NHC said in a 2 a.m. ET update, shared by NBC News.

Heavy rains crushed Puerto Rico, which left hundreds of thousands of people without water. Some didn’t have water service either because of the damage caused by Ernesto.

More than 730,000 people reported power outages on Wednesday. By Thursday, not even half of those people had electricity back, as at least 428,000 remained without power. According to Luma, that is nearly 30 percent of their customer base.

Over 10 inches of rain pulverized Barranquitas in Puerto Rico, as flood advisories were still in place Wednesday night. 

“I know it was a long night listening to that wind howl,” U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said at a news conference.

While tropical storm warnings have been lifted there, Bermuda is now preparing for impact.

“As I have said before, it only takes one storm to cause significant damage and disrupt our way of life,” Bermuda Minister of National Security Michael Weeks said Wednesday. “Now is not the time for complacency.”

Weeks has been urging residents to take these warnings seriously and prepare for what are going to be brutal conditions. 4-8 inches of rain is expected, with some areas on the coast potentially getting a foot.

A hurricane warning has been shared for Bermuda, as the current path of the storm looks like it will bring major danger to the area. Thursday night into the weekend, swells from the ocean are expected to reach the United States as well.

Still too early to say for sure, Canada is also preparing for Hurricane Ernesto to reach them later by the end of the week. Newfoundland and Nova Scotia could both be in the storm’s path as it tails off in a few days.

Already the fifth named storm and third to reach hurricane levels, this year has been a busy one for stormwatchers.