NASSAU, The Bahamas – The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, continues to urge residents, particularly in low-lying areas to do all they can to safeguard themselves, families and properties from impending dangerous flooding from Hurricane Matthew.
ALERT #37 ON HURRICANE MATTHEW ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY THURSDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 2016 AT 6AM.
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT FINDS MATTHEW STRENGTHENING NEAR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 5AM, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.2 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 77.1 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 100 MILES NORTHWEST OF GEORGE TOWN EXUMA, 29 MILES EAST OF KEMP’S BAY ANDROS, 59 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FRESH CREEK ANDROS, 87 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NICHOLL’S TOWN ANDROS, 60 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE, 112 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF GREAT HARBOUR CAY THE BERRY ISLANDS, 103 MILES WEST OF ARTHUR’S TOWN CAT ISLAND, 164 MILES SOUTH OF MARSH HARBOUR ABACO AND 198 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WEST END, GRAND BAHAMA.
MATTHEW IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH, AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED TONIGHT. ON THIS PRESENT TRACK THE EYE OF MATTHEW SHOULD PASS NEAR OR OVER FRESH CREEK ANDROS AROURD 9AM THIS MORNING AND OVER NICHOLL’S TOWN AND MORGAN’S BLUFF BETWEEN 11AM AND NOON TODAY. RESIDENTS ALONG EASTERN ANDROS FROM BEHRING POINT TO MORGAN’S BLUFF ARE STRONGLY ADVISED NOT TO GO OUTDOORS DURING THIS BRIEF LULL AS THE WORST IS YET TO COME. THE EYE WILL THEN PASS WEST OF THE BERRY ISLANDS AND WEST END GRAND BAHAMA LATER TODAY, AND MOVE VERY CLOSE TO THE EAST COAST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.
REPORTS FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 125 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MATTHEW IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO, AND MATTHEW IS FORECAST TO BE A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE NOW BEING EXPERIENCED IN NORTH LONG ISLAND, EXUMA, CAT ISLAND, ELEUTHERA AND THE BERRY ISLANDS. BY NOON TODAY, THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD SPREAD INTO GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO AND BIMINI, AND SUBSIDE IN LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND CAT ISLAND. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE NOW BEING EXPERIENCED IN NEW PROVIDENCE AND SOUTH AND CENTRAL ANDROS AND WILL SPREAD INTO NORTH ANDROS BY 9AM THIS MORNING AND INTO THE BERRY ISLANDS BY NOON
RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AREAS AND ON COASTAL ROADS SHOULD CONTACT THEIR LOCAL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR OR NEMA OFFICE TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR RELOCATION TO A HURRICANE SHELTER BEFORE THE ONSET OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS.
MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF 15 INCHES IN THE BAHAMAS.
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 NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AND SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR VESSELS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE PROPERLY SECURED.
