Tropical Storm Ernesto Batters Northeast Caribbean and Aims at Puerto Rico as It Strengthens

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—Tropical Storm Ernesto battered the northeast Caribbean on Tuesday as it took aim at Puerto Rico, where officials closed schools, opened shelters and moved dozens of the U.S. territory’s endangered parrots into hurricane-proof rooms. Ernesto is expected to become a hurricane late Tuesday as the center of the storm moves just northeast of Puerto Rico on a path toward Bermuda. Forecasters issued a hurricane watch for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as well as the tiny Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra, which are popular with tourists. “Since there is some chance of Ernesto becoming a hurricane while it is near the Virgin Islands, a hurricane watch remains in effect,” the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Tropical storm warnings were in place for Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barts and St. Maarten....