Watching late season tropical wave; islanders antsy and DDME urges review of family plan

#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Monday November 12, 2018 – “Now is a good time to review family emergency plans to ensure that you have the necessities,” said Turks and Caicos Islands DDME in a notice just moments ago.  

Trevor Basden, Director, Bahamas Dept of Meteorology

There is attention being paid to the late season system which developed in the Atlantic Basin over the weekend.  Trevor Basden, Senior Meteorologist and Director at The Bahamas Department of Meteorology confirms that chances for development are high and adds that the Turks and Caicos and The Bahamas archipelagos will get a stronger update later today.

Mr. Basden points out that none of the countries in the path of the vigorous tropical wave have posted any tropical storm alerts.  The BDM Director explained that ‘no alerts’ is an indication that while the system is to be watched, it has yet to pose any serious threat to the Leeward Islands and countries like Puerto Rico.

Things could change rapidly for better or worse though, and Trevor Basden added that he completely understands the apprehension storm weary islanders would feel at the sight of such a system at nearly the official end of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which is November 30.

Meanwhile, the TCI Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies, DDME says it will continue to monitor the system and provide updates accordingly.

The wave was this morning located about 200 miles east of the Leeward Islands is currently forecast to pass north of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Turks and Caicos and the SE Bahamas.  Formation chance over the next five days, into a stronger storm, is put at 90 percent by the National Hurricane Center.

Basden said no matter what develops, the system will be a rain and wind event and that thankfully most of the rain is in the eastern quadrant of the storm; which is away from the land masses named in the NHC public advisory.