ALERT #16 ON HURRICANE DORIAN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FRIDAY 30TH AUGUST, 2019 AT 6PM EDT.

#Nassau, August 30, 2019 – Bahamas – ….EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE DORIAN HEADING FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS…

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR A PORTION OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THIS INCLUDES: NORTH ELEUTHERA, ABACO, GRAND BAHAMA, BIMINI, THE BERRY ISLANDS AND NEW PROVIDENCE.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS  IN EFFECT FOR NORTH ANDROS. 

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLAND WITHIN 48 HOURS

AT 5PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DORIAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 70.7 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 337 MILES EAST OF GOVERNOR’S HARBOUR ELEUTHERA, 407 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MARSH HARBOUR ABACO, 418 MILES EAST OF NASSAU NEW PROVIDENCE AND 457 MILES SOUTHEAST OF EASTEND GRAND BAHAMA.

HURRICANE DORIAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 9 MPH. A SLOWER WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO WESTWARD MOTION SHOULD BEGIN TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. ON THIS TRACK, THE CENTER OF DORIAN WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SUNDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 115 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DORIAN IS NOW A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR- SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST, AND DORIAN IS ANTICIPATED TO REMAIN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE WHILE IT MOVES NEAR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. 

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS IN NORTH ELEUTHERA, ABACO, GRAND BAHAMA, BIMINI AND THE BERRY ISLANDS AND NEW PROVIDENCE SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETE ALL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AS THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT THE CENTER OF DORIAN WILL MOVE OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SUNDAY.

DANGEROUS STORM SURGE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES UP TO 15 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE EASTERN AND NORTHERN SHORES OF ELEUTHERA AND ABACO ON SUNDAY AND THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN SHORES OF GRAND BAHAMA ON SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TO MONDAY MORNING.

DORIAN IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. 

MARINERS ARE TO REMAIN IN PORT AS MODERATE TO LARGE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO AFFECT THE EASTERN SHORES OF THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS.   

THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE DORIAN WILL BE ISSUED AT 9PM EDT ON FRIDAY 30^TH AUGUST, 2019. 

PREPARED BY:  JEFFREY SIMMONS/MARY BUTLER