The Tribune

ALERT #17 ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FRIDAY 2ND OCTOBER, 2015 AT 3AM EDT.

…EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE JOAQUIN STILL POUNDING THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS…

...HURRICANE CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS THROUGH THIS MORNING...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE ABACOS, BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA, GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND, AND 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 IS 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 IS IN EFFECT FOR 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 2 AM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.7 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CLARENCE TOWN, LONG ISLAND, 35 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF CROOKED ISLAND, 70 MILES SOUTH OF SAN SALVADOR, 45 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF RUM CAY, OR 220 SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 3 MPH AND A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY, AND A FASTER MOTION TOWARD THE NORTH OR NORTH-NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CORE OF THE STRONGEST WINDS OF JOAQUIN WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS OVERNIGHT AND PASS NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS LATER TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 130 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. JOAQUIN IS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON

HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT AND TODAY, WITH SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.

ON JOAQUIN’S PRESENT TRACK, RESIDENTS IN CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, SOUTH LONG ISLAND AND RUM CAY SHOULD EXPERIENCE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. MEANWHILE, RESIDENTS IN EXUMA, CAT ISLAND, NORTH LONG ISLAND, SOUTH ELEUTHERA AND SAN SALVADOR SHOULD EXPERIENCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS TODAY AND TONIGHT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS COULD SPREAD INTO SOUTH CAT ISLAND AND SAN SALVADOR TODAY.

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.

AGAIN, RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED PREPARATION 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.