The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

SOUTHERN coastlines and surrounding communities are the areas that expert weather forecasters are paying keen attention to as Hurricane Matthew is expected to batter the islands of the Bahamas for a 24- to 48-hour period.

Alyson Hoegg, Meteorologist with Accuweather, told The Tribune on Wednesday evening that she forecasts storm surges as high as 15 feet in coastal areas, with wind gust around 80 to 120mph, extending possible mass flooding further inland than previously expected.

Forecasters are predicting rainfall up to 15 inches in some areas, with eight to 10 inches in most sections of the country.

Hurricane Matthew remains on a trajectory to impact virtually every island in the archipelago, starting with islands in the south eastern Bahamas.

Addressing those islands - Crooked Island, Acklins, Inagua and Ragged Island - Ms Hoegg said residents in those communities are already experiencing "dire conditions", with high wind gusts expected to last for up to another 24 hours.

Ms Hoegg projected possible catastrophic conditions, insisting that the make-up of this storm - strong exterior bands with tropical storm conditions extending 180 miles outward from the centre - could, because of its slow pace, ravage portions of the islands for extended period of time.

Neil Campbell, Family Island Administrator for Exuma and Ragged Island, said conditions in Ragged Island had advanced to a degree where "constant contact is essential". Speaking from Exuma, Mr Campbell said he is communicating with members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force's Advanced Team, who are stationed on Ragged Island.

With wind gusts currently in excess of 110mph and rainfall of up to 10 inches already reported in some areas of the small island chain, Mr Campbell said a sixth of the island's population had relocated to prescribed shelters.

"The entire island is bunkered down and we are talking as much as we can to ensure that everything remains in order," he told The Tribune.

The effects of Hurricane Matthew began to be felt on the island early on Wednesday, with rain and wind conditions worsening around 6am.

Hurricane Matthew is expected to affect Nassau from midnight with tropical storm conditions deteriorating to hurricane force conditions around 6am and continuing until about noon.

Forecasters suggested that the eye of Matthew would travel just to the north west of Nassau, east of Andros and south west of Grand Bahama on Thursday.

The entire country was placed under a hurricane warning Tuesday.