Hurricane Ernesto makes landfall on Bermuda as Cat. 1 storm: NHC
Hurricane Ernesto made landfall near western Bermuda in the early morning hours of Saturday, unleashing 85 mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Dangerous impacts of strong winds, storm surge and life-threatening flooding are expected to continue through the day.
Despite being downgraded to a Category 1 storm during its final approach, islanders were expecting widespread power outages and localized flooding.
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"We made it through the night," said Mark Sudduth, FOX Weather's exclusive storm tracker who has been on Bermuda for several days. "No power though."
Sudduth said the island seems to have fared well despite having taken a direct hit from the hurricane.
"Really remarkable, though, to be in the eye of a hurricane in Bermuda – Bermuda (being) a small target in the Atlantic," Sudduth said. "(It's) not great for the people here, but they're going to bounce back.
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Video taken during the hurricane's arrival showed waves battering the coastline and more than 5,000 customers were without power as of Friday evening. By Saturday morning, that number had grown to more than 26,000 customers, according to BELCO, the power company that services Bermuda.
Hurricane Ernesto was a Category 2 cyclone when it approached the British territory.
What's the forecast for Hurricane Ernesto?
As of 8 a.m., Hurricane Ernesto was moving to the north-northeast at around 9 mph.
Ernesto's maximum sustained winds were 85 mph at landfall, making it a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The NHC said Ernesto was expected to produce total rain accumulations of 6-12 inches in Bermuda, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 15 inches.
Will Hurricane Ernesto impact Florida?
Florida won't see a direct impact from Hurricane Ernesto, but the storm will produce large swells affecting the East Coast through the weekend. These waves are expected to cause potentially deadly surf and rip currents at coastal beaches.
FOX Weather contributed to this report.