The Tribune

ALERT #14 ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER, 2015 AT 6PM EDT.

…. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE, JOAQUIN IS MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. HURRICANE CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS 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 MAYAGUANA.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE BEING EXPERIENCED OR EXPECTED TO OCCUR WITHIN IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS 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 BEING EXPERIENCED OR EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

AT 5PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.4 DEGREES WEST.  THIS  PUTS THE EYE OF JOAQUIN 26 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF SAMANA CAY, 36 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF ACKLINS, 45 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF LONG ISLAND, 215 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE  AND 138 MILES WEST- NORTHWEST OF TURKS AND CAICOS.

HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING GENERALLY SOUTHWESTWARDS AT 6 MILES PER HOUR WITH ESTIMATED CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 936 MB. A WESTWARD OR SOUTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.  A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH IS EXPECTED ON FRIDAY AND A FASTER MOTION TOWARDS THE NORTH IS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.  ON ITS FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN WILL PASS TO THE EAST OF LONG ISLAND, NEAR RUM CAY AND BETWEEN CAT ISLAND AND SAN SALVADOR.  AS A RESULT, HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WOULD BE EXPERIENCED IN LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.  WHILE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN EXUMA, CAT ISLAND AND SOUTH ELEUTHERA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. 

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 POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY WITH SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 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 5 TO 10 INCHES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND 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 TODAY AND TONIGHT.

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.