NASSAU, The Bahamas – ALERT #15 ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER, 2015 AT 9 PM EDT.
…. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE JOAQUIN BATTERING THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS….
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST, CENTRAL AND PARTS OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES: THE ABACOS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA, GRAND BAHAMA, NEW PROVIDENCE, LONG ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY AND MAYGUANA.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS AND THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES RAGGED ISLAND AND INAGUA.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 8 PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.5 DEGREES WEST. THIS PUTS THE EYE OF JOAQUIN 10 MILES SOUTH OF SAMANA CAY,25 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CLARENCE TOWN LONG ISLAND, 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF ACKLINS, 75 MILES SOUTH OF SAN SALVADOR, 226 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE AND 140 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TURKS AND CAICOS.
HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING GENERALLY WEST-SOUTHWESTWARDS AT 5 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH IS EXPECTED ON FRIDAY, AND A FASTER MOTION TOWARDS THE NORTH IS EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF JOAQUIN IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TODAY AND TONIGHT AND PASS NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS ON FRIDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 130 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. JOAQUIN IS NOW A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE AND SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.
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 WARNING AREAS SHOULD ENSURE THAT ALL PREPARATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND REMAIN IN DOOR ONCE CONDITIONS DETERIORATES.
JOAQUIN IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNT OF 10 TO 15 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF UP TO 20 INCHES. THIS STORM POTENTIALLY CAN PRODUCE 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE BAHAMAS.
HEAVY RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE SEVERE FLOODING IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AS LARGE SWELLS AND BATTERING WAVES WILL AFFECT THE ISLANDS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. SURGES UP OF 5 TO 10 FEET ARE EXPECTED IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVEL ELSEWHERE.
THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN WILL BE ISSUED AT 12 MIDNIGHT EDT.
ISSUED BY: MICHAEL STUBBS
LONG ISLAND, Crooked Island under the GUN!
