Spanish
San Juan.- About twenty flights departing from or arriving at Puerto Rico's international airport were canceled this Sunday for the second consecutive day due to the passage of Hurricane Erin, which reduced its strength from category 5 to 3.
Most of the affected flights are from the airline Cape Air and connect Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) with other islands in the Caribbean such as St. Croix, Tortola, St. Thomas, and Vieques.
You may be interested in: INDOMET maintains weather warnings despite Hurricane Erin moving away
Two Frontier Airlines flights to Cleveland (Ohio, United States) and from Tampa (Florida) were also canceled. Aerostar, the company that operates the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in Puerto Rico, recommended yesterday to passengers of these flights to stay "in continuous contact with their respective airlines". Although Erin has moved away from the area, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that the outer bands of the hurricane will continue to cause rain and some wind gusts. After rapidly intensifying yesterday to become a Category 5 hurricane, Erin reduced its intensity overnight to become a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour. According to the NHC, rainfall accumulations could reach between three and six inches (between 76 and 152 millimeters) with isolated totals of up to 8 inches (about 203 millimeters), so flash and urban flooding are possible, along with landslides. In Puerto Rico, more than 140,000 customers, 10% of the total, did not have electricity service at the beginning of this day due to the rains associated with Ernie, according to the LUMA Energy portal, the company in charge of the transmission of electricity on the island. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flood advisory that remains in effect until Monday and in recent hours has warned of possible flash floods in several municipalities. The inclement weather also caused the cancellation of the inauguration of the Women's Baseball League, scheduled for this Sunday with a double match between the Cocoteras de Loíza and the Maceteras de Vega Alta. The Puerto Rico Baseball Federation reported that the inaugural commitment, which marks the start of the 2025 season, was postponed to Sunday, August 24.
