ALERT #29
THIS IS ALERT NUMBER TWENTY NINE (#29) ON HURRICANE IRENE ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, AT 12 AM EDT THURSDAY, 25TH
AUGUST 2011.
… HURRICANE IRENE’S FURY IS HEADING TO THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.
HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF BIMINI, GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO, BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, LONG ISLAND, SAN SALVADOR, RUM CAY, CAT ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, CROOKED ISLAND, RAGGED ISLAND, ACKLINS AND ALL THE SURROUNDING CAYS.
AT 11.00 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRENE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.8 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 75.4 DEGREES WEST OR 18
MILES NORTHWEST OF STELLA MARIS, LONG ISLAND, 25 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST
OF NEW BIGHT, CAT ISLAND, 65 MILES SOUTH-EAST OF BANNERMAN TOWN,
ELEUTHERA AND ABOUT 135 MILES EAST-SOUTH-EAST OF NASSAU.
IRENE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AND THEN NORTH IS EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THURSDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK THE CORE OF IRENE IS MOVING PARALLEL TO THE WEST COAST OF CAT ISLAND. AS IRENE MOVES ON THIS TRACK, CAT ISLAND AND
ELEUTHERA WILL REMAIN IN THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS QUADRANT OF THE HURRICANE.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 120 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IRENE IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY
ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. IRENE COULD BECOME A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE BY THURSDAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES FROM THE CENTRE
AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 255 MILES FROM THE CENTRE.
STORM SURGE AND BATTERING WAVES ARE NOW IMPACTING LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, CAT ISLAND AND EXUMA. THESE SURGES AND WAVES WILL IMPACT ELEUTHERA EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD FLOODING IN MANY OF THE LOW LYING ISLANDS, PARTICULARLY THOSE ISLANDS TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTRE OF THE HURRICANE.
EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED IN FLOODED AREAS NEAR DOWNED POWERLINES.
RESIDENTS IN LONG ISLAND, EXUMA, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR AND CAT ISLAND, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLANDS, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS
UNTIL THE ALL CLEAR ADVICE IS GIVEN. RESIDENTS IN ELEUTHERA, NEW PROVIDENCE, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO SHOULD BRACE THEMSELVES FOR POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO USE THE STREETS IN NEW PROVIDENCE AND OTHER STREETS IN ISLANDS IN THE WARNING AREAS FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES ONLY,
AS MOST WILL BECOME IMPASSABLE DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOCALIZED FLOODING
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE NORTHWEST, CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.
THE NEXT ALERT WILL BE ISSUED AT 3AM EDT. (PREPARED BY ARTHUR. W. ROLLE)
