The Tribune

ALERT #23 ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FRIDAY 2ND OCTOBER, 2015 AT 9PM EDT.

…CORE OF INTENSE HURRICANE JOAQUIN BEGINS TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS…. HURRICANE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE ABACOS, BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA, GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND, NEW PROVIDENCE, AND ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, AND MAYAGUANA IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BIMINI AND ANDROS ISLAND.

WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 48 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ANDROS, THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

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 24.3 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.3 DEGREES WEST OR 25 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF SAN SALVADOR, 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUM CAY, 70 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF OLD BIGHT, CAT ISLAND, AND 195 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 7 MPH, AND THIS GENERAL MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. ON THIS FORECAST TRACK, THE CORE OF THE STRONGEST WINDS OF JOAQUIN WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS LATER TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. JOAQUIN IS NOW A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME SLOW WEAKENING IS FORECASTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

ON ITS PRESENT TRACK, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM SAN SALVADOR AND INTO THE OPEN ATLANTIC TONIGHT. HOWEVER, RESIDENTS IN RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS THROUGH TONIGHT. MEANWHILE, RESIDENTS IN CAT ISLAND, EXUMA, LONG ISLAND, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLAND WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS TONIGHT.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

HEAVY RAINFALL COULD RESULT IN LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODS OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THROUGH TONIGHT.

A VERY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 6 TO 12 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.

AGAIN, RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED PREPARATIONS FOR THE IMPACT OF JOAQUIN WHICH INCLUDES SEVERE FLOODING.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AS LARGE SWELLS AND BATTERING WAVES WILL AFFECT THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.