Hurricane Ernesto Strikes Bermuda, Causes Power Outages

Hurricane Ernesto caused power outages, downed trees, and flooding in Bermuda, but no major injuries or damage were reported. The storm, a Category 1 hurricane, affected 74% of the territory's power customers. Officials are monitoring continued rainfall and tracking the storm's movement toward southeastern Newfoundland.

Hurricane Ernesto knocked out power, downed trees, and flooded parts of Bermuda on Saturday, but the British island territory appeared to have escaped major injuries or property damage, officials said after an initial assessment.

The Category 1 storm unleashed powerful winds and whipped up 35-foot (10-meter) seas, leading to power loss for 74% of the territory's 36,000 customers. "I'm happy to report that there have been no calls for service for any major incidents or damage to any property, and those calls that we've received over the last six hours or so are primarily flooding," risk management official Lyndon Raynor said in a government video update.

The U.S. National Weather Service said the hurricane was tracking north-northeast. As of 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT), it had moved 60 miles (95 km) past Bermuda and was expected to continue moving away. The center of the storm is forecast to approach southeastern Newfoundland in Canada late on Monday. Maximum sustained winds remained at 80 mph (130 kph) and were predicted to hold at that speed for another 48 hours before weakening.

(With inputs from agencies.)