Hurricane Ernesto drops torrential rain on Puerto Rico as it strengthens heading toward Bermuda

TOA BAJA, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Ernesto dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico and knocked out power for nearly half of all customers in the U.S. territory Wednesday as it threatened to strengthen into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda.

The storm was over open water about 675 miles (1,085 kilometers) south-southwest of Bermuda early Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph) and moving northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

A hurricane watch was issued for Bermuda, where tropical storm conditions were possible Friday and hurricane conditions were possible Saturday. Tropical storm warnings were discontinued for Puerto Rico and its outlying islands of Vieques and Culebra and for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands after the storm passed.

“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.

An islandwide blackout was reported on St. Croix, and at least six cellphone towers were offline across the U.S. territory, said Daryl Jaschen, emergency management director.

Schools and government agencies were closed in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where heavy flooding was reported in several areas, forcing officials to block roads, some of which were strewn with trees. More than 140 flights were canceled to and from Puerto Rico.

“A lot of rain, a lot of rain,” Culebra Mayor Edilberto Romero said in a phone interview. “We have trees that have fallen on public roads. There are some roofs that are blown off.”

Flash flood warnings remained up because of continuing rain.

In the north coastal town of Toa Baja, which is prone to flooding, dozens of residents moved their cars to higher areas.

“Everyone is worried,” Víctor Báez said as he sipped beer with friends and watched the rain fall. He only briefly celebrated that he had power. “It's going to go out again,” he predicted.

Ernesto, a Category 1 hurricane, was gradually strengthening and could become a Category 3 hurricane by Friday. Its center was expected to pass near Bermuda on Saturday. Between 3 and 6 inches of rain was forecast, with more possible in isolated places.

“Residents need to prepare now before conditions worsen,” Bermuda's National Security Minister Michael Weeks said. “Now is not the time for complacency.”

Forecasters also warned of heavy swells along the U.S. East Coast.

“That means that anybody who goes to the beach, even if the weather is beautiful and nice, it could be dangerous … with those rip currents,” said Robbie Berg, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center.

More than 640,000 customers lost power in Puerto Rico, and 23 hospitals were operating on generators, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said Wednesday. He added that crews were assessing damage and it was too early to tell when electricity would be restored.

“We are trying to get the system up and running as soon as we can,” said Juan Saca, president of Luma Energy, the company that operates transmission and distribution of power in Puerto Rico.

Luma Energy said earlier Wednesday that its priority was to restore power to hospitals, the island’s water and sewer company and other essential services. More than 300,000 customers were without water as a result of power outages, Pierluisi said.

Puerto Rico’s power grid was razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 as a Category 4 storm, and it remains frail as crews continue to rebuild the system.

“It’s just frustrating that this many years later, we continue to see something like a storm cause such widespread outages in Puerto Rico, particularly given the risk that these outages can cause for vulnerable households in Puerto Rico,” said Charlotte Gossett Navarro, the Hispanic Federation’s chief director for Puerto Rico.

Not everyone can afford generators on the island of 3.2 million people with a more than 40% poverty rate.

“People already prepared themselves with candles,” said Lucía Rodríguez, a 31-year-old street vendor.

Rooftop solar systems are scarce but keep growing in Puerto Rico, where fossil fuels generate 94% of the island's electricity. At the time María hit, there were 8,000 rooftop installations, compared with more than 117,000 currently, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

Ernesto is the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season. Since 1966, only four other years have had three or more hurricanes in the Atlantic by mid-August, according to Philip Klotzbach, Colorado State University hurricane researcher.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record warm ocean temperatures. It forecast 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes.

Associated Press journalists Julie Walker in New York and Gabriela Aoun in San Diego contributed to this report.

La Plata river floods a road after Tropical Storm Ernesto passed through Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

La Plata river floods a road after Tropical Storm Ernesto passed through Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

A man pose with a fish after Tropical Storm Ernesto passed through Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

A man fishes after Tropical Storm Ernesto passed through Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

La Plata river overflows onto a road after Tropical Storm Ernesto passed through Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 4 p.m EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Ernesto northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico and moving over open waters, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (NOAA via AP)

La Plata river floods a road after Tropical Storm Ernesto passed through Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 4:30 p.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Tropical Storm Ernesto over the Atlantic Ocean and moving west-northwest toward the Lesser Antilles, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (NOAA via AP)

A surfer prepares to enter the water before the passage of Tropical Storm Ernesto at La Pared beach in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Surfers wait for a wave before the passage of Tropical Storm Ernesto at La Pared beach in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Tourists sit on La Pared beach as Tropical Storm Ernesto passes by Luquillo, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United great Alex Ferguson will step down from his role as club ambassador at the end of the season, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move has not been publicly announced.

Ferguson will be 83 in December and the person said the ending of his ambassadorship was “amicable” and he would “always be welcome at Old Trafford.”

Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles with United and is widely regarded as one of the finest managers in the history of soccer. He is United's most successful manager, having won 28 major trophies.

He has been a club ambassador since retiring after leading United to its last league title in 2013.

His imminent departure comes at a time when the club is undergoing major change following the partial buyout by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe in February.

United has undergone an extensive restructuring program following Ratcliffe’s investment of $1.3 billion for a 27.7% stake and implemented cost-saving initiatives that it said included staff redundancies of around 250 roles.

United reported losses of 113.2 million pounds ($148 million) in its latest accounts.

Ferguson was hired by United in 1986 at a time when the club had long-since lost its place as the pre-eminent force in English soccer.

He ended its 26-year wait for the league title in 1993 and went on to dominate the Premier League era right up until his retirement when United was crowned champion with an 11-point lead over Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City.

He also won two Champions League titles and an unprecedented treble of trophies in 1999 when leading United to victory in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

He has been a regular spectator at United games since his retirement, watching the team home and away during a time when the club has been in obvious decline on the field.

Ratcliffe assumed control of United's soccer operations as part of his minority investment. The sporting side had previously been under the control of the majority owning American Glazer family.

A new CEO, Omar Berrada, and sporting director, Dan Ashworth, have been installed, while key figures at Ratcliffe’s Ineos Sport, Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, have been appointed to the board.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, watches a large TV screen during The County Hurdle race as his horse L'Eau Du Sud came in second place behind Absurde, during the final day of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse, England, Friday, March 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland, File)

FILE - Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson waves as he takes his seat on the stands before the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)