The Tribune

ALERT #21 ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FRIDAY 2ND OCTOBER, 2015 AT 3PM EDT.

…EXTREMELY DANGEROUS JOAQUIN IS NOW MOVING NORTHWARD NEAR RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR IN THE BAHAMAS. HURRICANE CONDITIONS CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TODAY.

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.

A HURRICANE 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 2PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.8 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.8 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 45 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF CLARENCE TOWN, LONG ISLAND, 25 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF SAN SALVADOR, 10 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF RUM CAY, 45 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE BIGHT, CAT ISLAND, AND 185 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT NEAR 5 MPH AND A NORTHWARD MOTION AND THIS GENERAL MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 130 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. JOAQUIN IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. SLOW WEAKENING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON SATURDAY.

ON ITS PRESENT TRACK, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING OVER RUM CAY AND THEN SAN SALVADOR TODAY. RESIDENTS IN LONG ISLAND, SOUTH CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR WILL EXPERIENCE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS TODAY. MEANWHILE, RESIDENTS IN THE REMAINDER OF CAT ISLAND, EXUMA AND ELEUTHERA SHOULD EXPERIENCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS TODAY AND TONIGHT. CONDITIONS IN ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLAND WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

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 TODAY.

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.

THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN WILL BE ISSUED AT 6PM EDT.