Hurricane Ernesto regained hurricane status over the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. It was located 520 miles south of Halifax, Canada, moving at 17 mph. The storm is expected to intensify before weakening back into a tropical storm by Tuesday as it passes near southeastern Newfoundland. New York City and New Jersey officials warned of dangerous rip currents and closed beaches. In Hilton Head, South Carolina, two men drowned in rip currents. Coastal flooding was expected in Atlantic City, and a stilted home in Rodanthe, North Carolina, collapsed into the ocean. National Weather Service issued warnings for life-threatening rip currents along the coast from Newport to Morehead City in North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Wilmington, North Carolina. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoys measured wave heights of 5 to 6 feet. Life-threatening surf and rip currents are possible from Bermuda to Canada for the next few days. Ten million people were covered by National Weather Service coastal flood advisories. The hurricane center has issued warnings for the affected areas.
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Ernesto strengthens back to hurricane status, posing danger with powerful surf and rip currents along East Coast
