A current satellite shot of Hurricane Ike as it moves away from Great Mayaguana at this hour (7:20PM Sunday). Ike is packing over 120MPH winds as it hit the southern Bahamian islands. Moving west a 13 mph.
NASSAU, Bahamas – Bahamas Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham confirmed to the nation Saturday that all official preparations for Hurricane Ike were in place, and reiterated appeals for residents in the storm’s warning and watch cones to follow and adhere to all advisories.
The Prime Minister was addressing the latest in a series of nationally televised press conferences held by the Bahamas’ National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Shelters on the south-eastern Bahama islands under a hurricane warning were to be activated Saturday, and schools that were closed due to the passage of tropical storm Hanna were scheduled to remain closed until further notice.
“I confirm that all official preparations for Hurricane Ike are in place,” Mr. Ingraham affirmed. “I am advised that there are reasonable quantities of water available on all the affected islands. However it is extremely important that every effort is made to conserve water.
“The Ministry of Health has secured clinics throughout the islands expected to be impacted; and health care professionals will remain on duty for the duration of the hurricane. The Bahamas Electricity Corporation has advised that full stand-by crews are in place.”
Prime Minister Ingraham further advised that 12 Bahamas Defence Force Marines have been deployed ahead of Ike’s landfall; three each to Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island and San Salvador.
The Marines, he noted, will assist the police and the Family Island Hurricane Committees as necessary. Defence Force marines based in Inagua will lend similar assistance on that island.
Continuing on its projected path, Hurricane Ike is forecast to impact the Southeast Bahamas – Inagua, Mayaguana, Acklins and Crooked Island, Ragged Island and Long Cay late Saturday night and into the very early hours of Sunday.
“Storm surges of 9 – 12 ft or higher may accompany Ike, along with severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and possible tornados,” Mr. Ingraham noted.
“I want especially to emphasize that sea swells may occur even after the hurricane has passed, as was the case in Abaco on Friday where a community which remained dry as Tropical Storm Hanna passed during the night found itself flooded on Friday morning from rising swells. And so I implore residents in the southeast and central Bahamas to remain vigilant and to take appropriate precautions.”
The Prime Minister, who remains in constant contact with NEMA, informed that he has also been in personal contact with some Family Island Administrators and elected Local Government Representatives to receive reports on the preparedness of our communities in the southeast and central Bahamas.
“I have spoken personally with the Administrators in Mayaguana, Crooked Island, Inagua, Long Island, Cat Island, San Salvador, Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera, Exuma and North Andros. All advise me that their communities have taken precautions and are ready for the approach of the hurricane,” he said.
The Prime Minister indicated that in general, residents on all islands have taken the threat of Ike seriously, responding well to advisories to seek shelter and to protect their homes and properties.
Mr. Ingraham urged residents whose homes cannot withstand hurricane force winds, or who live in low-lying areas and/or in very close proximity to the sea, to make plans to relocate to a hurricane shelter or to other safe houses which they have identified.
Earlier this week, several islands in The Bahamas were impacted by Tropical Storm Hanna. The Prime Minister advised that communities throughout the country were spared serious damage.
Of Hanna’s impact he said, “Sea swells have reduced but localized flooding especially in a number of low lying areas continued to impact Abaco, where some 175 persons were forced to move to hurricane shelters for a period of time yesterday (Friday).”
Electricity had been restored on islands affected by Hanna with the exception of a few locations on the island of Eleuthera. Work continued Saturday to restore electricity to those locations.
“Hurricane Ike is a dangerous storm – a hurricane that will cause tremendous damage to trees and vegetation,” the Prime Minister advised. “Every precaution ought and must be taken by all residents to reduce incidences of injury to persons and damage to structures.
“We can, and will, replace and restore anything we may lose; we cannot replace life; hence my urgent and repeated appeals for the observance of safety measures.”
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ALERT # 21 ON HURRICANE IKE ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF
METEOROLOGY AT 9:00PM EDT.SUNDAY 07TH SEPTEMBER 2008.
… MAJOR HURRICANE IKE APPROACHING THE NORTH COAST OF EASTERN CUBA ….
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
BAHAMAS THAT INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, LONG ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, SAN SALVADOR,
RUM CAY, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, MAYAGUANA AND
INAGUA. HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS
ISLANDS
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 73 MILES PER HOUR ARE
EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH CONTINUES FOR ANDROS
ISLAND. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT WINDS BETWEEN 39-73 MILES
PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. ALSO, A
HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 73 MILES PER HOUR ARE
EXPECTED IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 9:00PM EDT. THE CENTRE OF IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.1 DEGREES
NORTH AND LONGITUDE 75.2 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 107 MILES WEST OF GREAT
INAGUA ISLAND, 239 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ANDROS, 100 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST
OF ACKLINS, 128 MILES SSW OF LONG ISLAND, ABOUT 292 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
NEW PROVIDENCE
IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 14 MILES PER HOUR. A WEST TO
WEST-NORTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND MONDAY. ON THIS TRACK, THE
CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN
BAHAMAS AND OVER OR NEAR EASTERN CUBA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 120 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. IKE IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE.
FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT, BUT IKE IS EXPECTED TO
REMAIN A MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES EASTERN CUBA. IKE IS EXPECTED
TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES OVER EASTERN AND CENTRAL CUBA ON MONDAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 145 MILES FROM THE
CENTER.
RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLAND, SOUTHERN LONG
ISLAND AND RAGGED ISLAND ARE EXPERIENCING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AT
THIS TIME.
RESIDENTS IN THE ISLANDS WHERE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS
ARE PREVAILING SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS..
COASTAL DWELLERS SHOULD BRACE THEMSELVES FOR STORM SURGE OF 13 TO 18
FEET ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES. RAINFALL OF 4 TO 8
INCHES WILL FLOOD THE WARNING AREAS.
ELSEWHERE RESIDENTS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF IKE AND BE
PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IN THE EVENT OF IKE TAKING A MORE
NORTHWESTERLY COURSE AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED.
THE NEXT ALERT WILL BE ISSUED AT 12 MIDNIGHT EDT.
ALERT # 19 ON HURRICANE IKE ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 3:00PM EDT.SUNDAY 07TH SEPTEMBER 2008.
… THE EYE OF HURRICANE IKE IS JUST WEST OF GREAT INAGUA….
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THAT INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, LONG ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, SAN SALVADOR, RUM CAY, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA. HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 73 MILES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
A HURRICANE WATCH HAS NOW BEEN POSTED FOR ANDROS ISLAND. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 73 MILES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 2:00PM EDT. THE CENTRE OF IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.0 DEGREES WEST OR JUST WEST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA, 140 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MAYAGUANA, 285 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ANDROS, 90 MILES SOUTH OF ACKLINS, ABOUT 335 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE AND ABOUT 150 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF WEST CACIOS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 13 MILES PER HOUR. A WEST TO WEST-SOUTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON WITH A TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST EXPECTED ON MONDAY. ON THIS TRACK, THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVE NEAR OR OVER EASTERN CUBA TONIGHT AND NEAR OR OVER CENTRAL CUBA LATE MONDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 135 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT, BUT IKE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES EASTERN CUBA. IKE IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES OVER EASTERN AND CENTRAL CUBA ON MONDAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 145 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE BOMBARDED WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS UNTIL ABOUT 4:00PM TODAY. INAGUA WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERENCE HURRICANE CONDITIONS UNTIL AROUND 4:00PM AND THEN TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS THEREAFTER UNTIL 11:00PM TONIGHT. MAYAGUANA, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLAND ARE EXPERIENCING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AT THIS TIME. SOUTHERN LONG ISLAND AND RAGGED ISLAND SHOULD BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AT ABOUT 4:00PM.
RESIDENTS IN THE ISLANDS WHERE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE PREVAILING SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS..
COASTAL DWELLERS SHOULD BRACE THEMSELVES FOR STORM SURGE OF 13 TO 18 FEET ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES. RAINFALL OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WILL FLOOD THE WARNING AREAS.
ELSEWHERE RESIDENTS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF IKE AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IN THE EVENT OF IKE TAKING A MORE NORTHWESTERLY COURSE AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED.
THE NEXT ALERT WILL BE ISSUED AT 6:00PM EDT.
ALERT # 18 ON HURRICANE IKE ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT NOON EDT.SUNDAY 07TH SEPTEMBER 2008.
… THE EYE OF HURRICANE IKE IS PASSING OVER GREAT INAGUA….
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THAT INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, LONG ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, SAN SALVADOR, RUM CAY, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA. HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 73 MILES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
A HURRICANE WATCH HAS NOW BEEN POSTED FOR ANDROS ISLAND. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 73 MILES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED IN THE WATCH AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 11:00AM EDT. THE CENTRE OF IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 73.4 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA, 100 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MAYAGUANA, 335 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ANDROS, ABOUT 370 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE AND ABOUT 90 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEST CACIOS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
IKE IS MOVING JUST SOUTH OF DUE WEST NEAR 13 MILES PER HOUR. A WEST TO WEST-SOUTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST EXPECTED ON MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS TODAY AND MOVE NEAR OR OVER EASTERN CUBA TONIGHT AND NEAR OR OVER CENTRAL CUBA LATE MONDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 135 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR SIMPSON SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT, BUT IKE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES EASTERN CUBA.
IKE IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES OVER EASTERN AND CENTRAL CUBA ON MONDAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 145 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE BOMBARDED WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS UNTIL ABOUT 4:00PM TODAY. INAGUA WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERENCE HURRICANE CONDITIONS UNTIL AROUND 4:00PM AND THEN TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS THEREAFTER UNTIL 11:00PM TONIGHT. MAYAGUANA, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLAND ARE EXPERIENCING TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AT THIS TIME. LONG ISLAND SHOULD BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AT ABOUT 4:00PM.
RESIDENTS IN THE ISLANDS WHERE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE PREVAILING SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS. A PARTICULAR CAUTION IS ASKED OF RESIDENTS IN INAGUA. AS THE EYE OF HURRICANE IKE PASSES OVER GREAT INAGUA THERE MAY BE SUNSHINE WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS. THIS MAY ENTICE PERSONS TO GO OUTSIDE. DO NOT. THE WORST PART OF THE HURRICANE WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
COASTAL DWELLERS SHOULD BRACE THEMSELVES FOR STORM SURGE OF 13 TO 18 FEET ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES. RAINFALL OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WILL FLOOD THE WARNING AREAS.
ELSEWHERE RESIDENTS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF IKE AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IN THE EVENT OF IKE TAKING A MORE NORTHWESTERLY COURSE AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED.
THE NEXT ALERT WILL BE ISSUED AT 3:00PM EDT.
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