SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Hurricane Ernesto made landfall on the tiny British Atlantic territory of Bermuda early Saturday as residents hunkered down.

The extensive category 1 storm was directly over the wealthy territory at 6 a.m. Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned of powerful winds, a dangerous storm surge and considerable coastal flooding.

It said an estimated 6 to 9 inches (150-225 millimeters) of rain was expected to fall on Bermuda. “This rainfall will likely result in significant life-threatening flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas on the island,” it said.

Due to the large size of the storm and its slow movement, hurricane-force winds are expected to persist until Saturday afternoon, with tropical storm-force winds continuing into Sunday, the Bermuda government said. Ernesto is moving toward the north-northeast at around 9 mph (15 kph).

The NHC reported life-threatening surf and rip currents on the east coast of the United States and said they would reach Canada later in the day. Ernesto is forecast to be near or east of Newfoundland by Monday night.

As of late Friday, Bermuda's power company, BELCO, reported that 31% of its customers were without electricity. The company described the situation as “an active state of crisis.”

“Our crews are no longer working in the field due to safety concerns. They will rest until it is safe for them to begin restoration efforts,” BELCO added.

In anticipation of the storm, authorities in the affluent British territory halted public transportation and closed the airport on Friday evening.

“Hurricane Ernesto poses a serious threat to our community,” National Security Minister Michael Weeks stated. “This storm should not be underestimated.”

Bermuda is a group of 181 small islands with a combined land area roughly equivalent to the size of Manhattan.

According to AccuWeather, it’s uncommon for the center of a hurricane to make landfall in Bermuda. It noted that, before today, since 1850 only 11 of 130 tropical storms that came within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Bermuda had made landfall.

The island is a well-known offshore financial center known for its robust construction. Its elevation makes it less susceptible to storm surge compared to low-lying islands.

Ernesto had previously caused significant damage to the northeast Caribbean, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico without power or water after passing through the U.S. territory as a tropical storm.

More than 180,000 customers, out of a total of nearly 1.5 million, remained without power for over two days after the storm. An additional 170,000 were without water as the National Weather Service issued yet another severe heat advisory, warning of “dangerously hot and humid conditions.”

"It's a tough situation," remarked Andrés Cabrera, 60, a resident of the coastal city of Carolina, who found himself without water or electricity.

Like many others on the island, he couldn't afford a generator or solar panels. Cabrera stated that he was relying solely “on the breeze coming in from the street.”

Authorities have expressed their hope to restore power to 90% of the nearly 1.5 million customers in Puerto Rico by Sunday, but have not yet provided a timeline for the complete restoration of power.

Of the 152 critical infrastructure sites without electricity that are being prioritized, 36 have now regained power, according to Juan Saca, president of Luma Energy, the private company responsible for power transmission and distribution on the island.

In the neighboring U.S. Virgin Islands, crews are working diligently to restore power, with 80% of customers now back online.

Ernesto is the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of this year's Atlantic hurricane season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a forecast predicting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year due to record-high ocean temperatures . They predict 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes.

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A correction has been made to this article to accurately reflect the rainfall measurement in millimeters, not centimeters.