Bahamas, September 7th, 2017 – Nassau – Captain Russell, Director of NEMA fully activated the National Emergency Operations Centre at 6pm Wednesday, September 6, for the close monitoring of the powerful Hurricane Irma projected to impact the Islands of The Bahamas.
Representatives of the Emergency Support Function groups assembled at the Gladstone Road headquarters, where they will be hunkered down during the storm to receive and relay critical information to the public.
The Bahamas Department of Meteorology issued a warning for the entire Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. This means residents should rush to complete all necessary preparations, as they would feel hurricane conditions within 36 hours.
Storm surges and extensive to severe flooding can be expected as Irma is forecast to produce rainfall amounts of 8 to 12 inches. Residents are being advised to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and, or seek the nearest hurricane shelter.
Irma is forecast to remain a powerful category four or five hurricane during the next couple of days.
The latest alert on Hurricane Irma was issued by the Met Department on Thursday, September 7 at 6am. See details:
ALERT #17 ON HURRICANE IRMA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY THURSDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT 6AM EDT.
THE EYE OF IRMA MOVING WEST-NORTHWEST OFF THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.
A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS CAN AFFECT THE AFOREMENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 5AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 68.3 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 210 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, 330 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA AND 670 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
HURRICANE IRMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 17 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER SHOULD PASS NORTH OF THE COAST OF HISPANIOLA LATER TODAY, BE NEAR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS BY THIS EVENING, AND THEN BE NEAR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS BY FRIDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 180 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IRMA IS A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO, BUT IRMA IS FORECAST TO REMAIN A POWERFUL CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE HURRICANE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD BEGIN TO FEEL THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE IRMA BY 10AM TODAY, THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD SPREAD INTO INAGUA BY 4PM THIS AFTEROON AND INTO MAYAGUANA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS AND RAGGED ISLAND BY TONIGHT. THEREFORE, RESIDENTS IN THESE ISLANDS SHOULD HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED ALL PREPARATION FOR HURRICANE IRMA AND ARE STRONGLY URGED TO REMAIN INDOORS DURING THE PASSAGE OF IRMA.
RESIDENTS IN LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, THE EXUMAS AND CAT ISLAND, COULD BEGIN TO FEEL THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE IRMA BY NOON ON FRIDAY.
RESIDENTS IN NEW PROVIDENCE, ELEUTHERA, ANDROS, BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETE ALL PREPARATIONS FOR HURRICANE IRMA.
EXTENSIVE TO SEVERE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED AS IRMA IS FORECAST TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES.
THE COMBINATION OF DANGEROUS STORM SURGE AND LARGE DESTRUCTIVE WAVES CAN RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 15 TO 20 FEET ABOVE THE NORMAL TIDE. RESIDENTS LIVING NEAR THE COAST ARE ASKED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND INLAND.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD IMMEDIATELY SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR VESSELS.
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