A tropical storm warning has been issued for St. Kitts & Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barts, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. As of the official forecast from 8 p.m. Eastern time last night, Tropical Storm Ernesto is located about 230 miles east-southeast of Antigua, moving west fairly quickly at 28 miles per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour. With the current forecast, Tropical Storm Ernesto is expected to make its way through parts of the Caribbean as a tropical storm, with the biggest impacts from heavy rainfall and high storm surges, rather than high winds. The storm is expected to produce as much as 10 inches of rain in some areas.

Direct Relief responds

Direct Relief is monitoring this system closely and has already reached out to partners across the region, including Ministries of Health, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and most partners in Puerto Rico, including the Puerto Rico Department of Health and all Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

Direct Relief has pre-positioned Hurricane Preparedness Packs (HPPs) throughout this region of the Caribbean, including one in St. Lucia administered by OECS and ready to be deployed to any of their member states in the eastern Caribbean; one in the British Virgin Islands; and two in Puerto Rico (on the islands of Vieques and Culebra). Each U.S. version of the pack contains 220 types of medicine and medical supplies, designed to support care for 100 people for 72 hours.

After Hurricane María in 2017, Direct Relief established a regional disaster response hub with warehouse capabilities in Puerto Rico, where relief supplies are kept in stock and emergency response personnel are ready for immediate dispatch during emergencies.

The organization has also donated more than 60 mobile medical units and off-road vehicles to FQHCs and other community organizations across Puerto Rico, mobilizing health outreach services to remote communities and expanding access to care.

Since 2017, Direct Relief has been equipping health centers and non-PRASA communities (those not served by the main aqueduct authority) with solar panels and battery storage for uninterrupted access to healthcare and water.

Direct Relief will continue to monitor the storm and respond as requested.