Bahamas fared well during TS Eta - Government

Government

Bahamas fared well during TS Eta

Authored by:	National Emergency Management Agency
Source:	Bahamas Information Services
Date:	November 9, 2020

NASSAU, The Bahamas - According to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, The Bahamas fared well during the passing of Tropical Storm Eta through the islands November 7-8, 2020.

Captain Stephen Russell, Director of NEMA said he was pleased that Family Island Administrators and committees were well prepared for the impending storm, which brought heavy rainfall and localized flooding, in some areas.

“We are very pleased with the interaction with our Family Island Administators, who reported over a virtual platform, any activity which took place as a result of the storm passing through their communities,” he said.

Captain Russell however reminded the public that the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially ends November 30 and that they ought to remain prepared in the event another storm threatens.

The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) at NEMA was partially activated at 3pm Saturday, November 7, 2020 to closely monitor the track of Tropical Storm Eta.

Representatives of NEMA’s Emergency Support Function (ESF) groups reported to the NEOC at NEMA on Gladstone Road to monitor the system and to ensure that the public receives timely and accurate information pertaining to the storm.

Captain Stephen was in constant contact with Family Island Administrators in the Islands in the projected path of the system, who ensured that their respective communities were prepared for the storm and any other incident, which might be associated with it.

NEMA-designated Emergency Shelters on Grand Bahama, Abaco, Bimini, The Berry Islands, Andros, New Providence, Eleuthera, Exuma and Ragged Island were notify to open at 8am, (Sunday, November 8, 2020) to receive residents who anticipated that their homes might be impacted by severe flooding, or compromised in some other way due to the adverse weather conditions.

Some 27 people utilized shelters on Abaco, Andros, The Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, New Providence and Ragged Island. The shelters were deactivated as of 10:20 am Monday, November 9, 2020.

Other preliminary reports from the Islands are of flooding rendering roads impassable in some areas, high winds, gusty conditions, sea swells and some fallen trees. The Glass Window Bridge, Eleuthera, was closed due to sea surges.

The Ministry of Works reported that some areas on New Providence experienced outer band showers from the storm, which resulted in some areas having as much as 3.5 inches of rainfall causing localized flooding in low-lying areas.

Through an aggressive routine maintenance drainage progamme implemented last year, the initiative proved successful and engineers were able to bring relief to quite a number of problematic areas throughout New Providence.

The Ministry also closed the Glass Window Bridge, Eleuthera, due to sea surges and high winds.

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology in its last Alert #29, issued at 8 am Monday, November 9, 2020 advised that Eta was moving away from The Bahamas and discontinued all alerts for the entire country.

Captain Russell officially deactivated the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) at 12 noon Monday.