Some boat owners in Saba had their vessels taken out of the water via a crane on Monday while others took their boats to dock in St. Maarten, as Saba prepared for the passing of Tropical Storm Ernesto.

Saba’s government announced that its offices will be closed today, Tuesday.

Day-care centre Absolute Childcare will also be closed, as well as government-owned telecommunications com­pany SATEL and the government-owned Saba Electric Company (SEC).

The government promised to update residents on these closures on Tuesday afternoon, and advised motorists to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm because of an increased risk of flash-flooding and landslides.

Saba’s airport closed at 1:30pm Monday and will remain closed today, Tuesday. The island’s only scheduled pas­senger airline — Windward Islands Airways International Winair — has cancelled its flights on Tuesday and Wednes­day, but expects to resume services on Thursday.

The “Makana” Ferry Service has also cancelled its sched­uled trips from Tuesday through Thursday.

Cargo ship “Mutty’s Pride” was reportedly unable to dock at Port de Galisbay in French St. Martin on Monday, leaving uncertainty surrounding when the vessel will call at Saba. It usually brings cargo to the island on Wednes­days.

Saba and St. Eustatius were placed under a topical Storm Warning on Monday morning, which means tropi­cal storm conditions arc expected in the warning area within 36 hours.

The Daily Herald.