NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS - ALERT NUMBER EIGHT (#8) ON HURRICANE MARIA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY WEDNESDAY 20^TH SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT 9AM.

 THE EYE OF MARIA LOCATED OVER EASTERN PUERTO RICO.

A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.  THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. 

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING OR CAN AFFECT THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A HURRICANE ALERT IS ALSO NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.  THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF CAT ISLAND, EXUMA, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.

A HURRICANE ALERT MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS CAN AFFECT THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS WITHIN 60 HOURS.

AT 8AM, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MARIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.2 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 66.1 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO, 395 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS, 520 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA AND 860 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

MARIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH.  A WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY, FOLLOWED BY A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION ON THURSDAY.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE EYE OF MARIA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS PUERTO RICO THIS MORNING AND EMERGE OFF THE NORTHERN COAST BY THIS AFTERNOON. THE CENTER WILL THEN PASS JUST NORTH OF THE NORTHEAST COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  MARIA IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR (4) HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE, AND IT SHOULD MAINTAIN ITS INTENSITY WHILE IT MOVES ACROSS PUERTO RICO.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS IN MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETE ALL NECESSARY PREPARATION AS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THEY COULD EXPERIENCE HURRICANE CONDITIONS BY THURSDAY. 

A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER OF MARIA AS IT PASSES THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. 

EXTENSIVE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED AS MARIA COULD PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD REMAIN IN SAFE HARBOUR.

For more information contact: Lindsay Thompson, Public Information Officer, NEMA at (242) 322-6081. 322-6085. 361-5569. Email: nemabahamas242@gmail.com. Website: www.bahamas.gov.bs. Facebook: NEMA-Bahamas