The Tribune

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

NEW Providence is expected to be one of the hardest hit, if not the most impacted island, as Hurricane Matthew barrels its way through The Bahamas until Friday morning, according to Bahamas Department of Meteorology Senior Deputy Director Jeffrey Simmons.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Simmons said the worst of the storm will affect the capital around 5am on Thursday and continue until about 11am. He said there will be a slight lull because of the passage of the eye of the storm, and urged residents not to leave their homes until the all clear is given.

New Providence will begin to experience tropical storm conditions beginning 3pm on Wednesday, however Mr Simmons said showers and thunderstorms can begin as early as this morning.

He said all islands of The Bahamas should be given the all clear around noon on Friday but winds are expected “drop off in New Providence” early Friday morning.

Matthew is expected to weaken to a category three storm before it hits New Providence, which officials warn is still very dangerous.

The storm is moving north near 9mph and is expected to continue in a similar fashion today before a turn north, northwest by Wednesday followed by a northwest turn on Wednesday night.

On the forecast track, Matthew will move over portions of the southeast and central Bahamas on Wednesday and approach the northwest Bahamas on Wednesday night.

Extensive to severe flooding can be expected as Matthew is forecast to produce rainfall amounts of eight to 12 inches over the southeast Bahamas with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches. The combination of a dangerous storm surge and large and destructive waves could raise water levels by as much as 10 to 15 feet above normal tide in the Bahamas.

“Right now there hasn’t been much of a change in movement and the storm is expected to continue to fluctuate between 145 and 140 mph. We expect it to weaken a bit to 120mph but that is still a major hurricane,” Mr Simmons said on Tuesday.

“We expect 8 to 12 inches of rain throughout all the island and that means massive flooding especially in low lying areas. This is a serious issue in terms of flooding for New Providence and the winds are going to be strong, we are looking at at least 100 mph and that is a lot of wind. The eye of the storm is still projected to pass over New Providence which means on this path New Providence is expected to get the worst of it, followed by Exuma, Eleuthera and Abaco. That is the way the storm is moving.”

Mr Simmons said there is still some “hope” that the storm will shift and make “less of an impact.”

“There is still a chance that Matthew will shift,” he said.

“The way we are looking, the centre will pass right over us and it can’t get any worse than that so any chance will be an improvement. We are hoping that it can shift a bit further to the east but the jury is still out on that. We will know what happens once Matthew comes out of Cuba but that will not be until later tonight (Tuesday), right before midnight.”

Matthew’s maximum sustained winds are 140mph with higher gusts. Matthew is expected to remain a powerful hurricane until Thursday.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the centre and tropical storm force winds outward up to 185 miles.

Residents are advised to rush to complete preparations for the onset of hurricane conditions, which have already begun to affect Inagua before spreading into Ragged Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana and Long Island Wednesday night.

The entire country was under a hurricane warning yesterday.

Small craft operators throughout the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands should remain in port and seek safe harbour for their vessels and ensure they are safely secured.