According to the National Hurricane Center’s early Friday update, Ernesto had sustained winds of 100 mph and was 360 miles south-southwest of Bermuda. The storm, which is moving at 14 mph, is expected to begin dumping a lot of rain on Bermuda on Friday and then pass close to or over the island on Saturday.

The deluge that occurred on Wednesday was still affecting Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands at this time. As many as 730,000 utility customers in Puerto Rico were without power at one point. According to the LUMA Energy website, approximately 241,812 homes and businesses—or 16% of customers—were still without power as of Friday at 3 a.m. ET.

From late Thursday into Friday morning, the National Weather Service issued river flood warnings for portions of western Puerto Rico. Noting that the majority of flood-related deaths occur in automobiles, the San Juan office advised residents to exercise extra caution while driving at night.

Cruise ships continue to be disrupted as Ernesto moves through the Atlantic. The intensifying storm altered the itineraries of several Carnival and Norwegian cruises this week, with some omitting Puerto Rico or the eastern Caribbean altogether.

The U.S. Lifesaving Association warns that rip currents can rapidly increase in speed and pull people away from the shore. A scientific analysis of the nonprofit organization’s data reveals that rip currents are responsible for more than 100 deaths annually in the United States. Additionally, they are responsible for about 80% of beach lifeguard rescues.

The weather service stated that high surf along the Maine coast over the weekend will be a concern as Ernesto moves northward.

As the aftermath of Ernesto brought back memories of the devastating 2017 hurricane Maria, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans had to deal with temperatures in the mid-90s and high humidity without power or running water.

Additionally, the storm produced southern winds that had a heating effect. As a result, the weather service issued an advisory stating that “a period of dangerously hot and humid conditions are expected” across northern Puerto Rico. These conditions prevailed in the days following Maria, which caused approximately 3,000 deaths and kept large portions of the island in darkness for several weeks.

Jason Lawrence spent the entirety of Wednesday getting ready for Ernesto, but the Bermuda resident does not appear to be in any kind of panic. Before he brought his outdoor furniture inside his house and nailed plywood over the windows, the lifelong Bermuda resident had four of his boats taken out of the water and tied down.

He stated, “I feel like most people are all getting their plywood and bunkering down today. This afternoon and tomorrow should be pretty busy for us in the grocery stores.”

He stated, “We don’t really start to panic unless it gets up into a Category 3. The structures down here are different from those in the States. The houses stand up well, so once you’re all packed up you’re pretty good.”

Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security for Bermuda, advised residents and visitors to get ready for Ernesto’s arrival immediately.

According to Weeks, the storm will bring with it a flurry of hazardous weather conditions, such as heavy rain, a high storm surge, and strong winds, which will result in a “high likelihood of the loss of electricity across the island,” which has approximately 65,000 people living there.