Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in Bermuda as a Category 1 storm Saturday morning after devastating Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, complicating travel to the Caribbean.
As the storm hit, Bermuda International Airport reported wind gusts of up to 63 miles per hour.
According to flightaware.com, since 11:00 a.m. EST this morning, more than 18,600 flights worldwide have been delayed, but only 396 have been canceled.
Ernesto will move up the East Coast later this weekend and week, staying away from the coast and metropolitan areas like Washington, Philadelphia and New York.
The storm has been classified as a Category 1 storm. While it is not necessarily as strong as previous storms, the combination of wind and rain is causing power outages in many areas, making life difficult for airlines.
The storm could bring up to 15 inches of rain to some areas of the Caribbean. A Category 1 hurricane can reach wind speeds of up to 85 mph.
United Airlines and Delta have begun issuing travel waivers and alerts, reminding customers that most change fees have been waived. Check with your airline as the storm progresses.
Cruise ships could also be affected, as Ernesto is expected to cause 12-meter-high waves in the Atlantic.
It is the fifth named storm of the season and the second in two weeks.
Subscribe to the TravelPulse daily newsletter to receive the latest travel news, updates and offers.
Topics to discover in this article
Impact on TravelCaribbean
