Puerto Rico cancels classes, activates National Guard as Tropical Storm Ernesto nears

As Tropical Storm Ernesto approaches, Puerto Rico has taken significant precautionary measures, including canceling the start of public school classes and activating the National Guard. The storm, which formed in the Atlantic on Monday, is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Ernesto is expected to bring heavy rain, floods, landslides, and hurricane-strength wind gusts as it moves toward Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Forecasters predict that the storm will hit Puerto Rico on Tuesday evening, with rainfall amounts of six to eight inches, potentially causing widespread power outages due to the island’s still-fragile power grid. Officials in the region, including Puerto Rico’s Governor Pedro Pierluisi and U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr., have urged residents to stay alert and prepared. The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Thursday as it turns north toward Bermuda, with concerns it could reach Category 3 status.

Source: NPR