NASSAU, The Bahamas – Excessive flooding can be expected as Hurricane Maria has the potential to produce rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches over the Turks and Caicos Islands and 2 to 4 inches over the Southeast Bahamas.

Residents in coastal and low-lying areas are urged to take the necessary precautions ahead of the storm.

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 centre of Maria as it passes the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeast Bahamas.

This includes Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay, Samana Cay and The Turks and Caicos Islands. 

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology is monitoring the dangerous Hurricane Maria – which poses threat to The Bahamas. See below:

ALERT NUMBER NINE (#9) ON HURRICANE MARIA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY WEDNESDAY 20^TH SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT NOON.

THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MARIA IS APPROACHING THE NORTHERN COAST OF 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 11AM, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MARIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.4 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 66.5 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 25 MILES WEST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO, 369 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS, 479 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA AND 833 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

MARIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH.  THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 140 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  MARIA IS A CATEGORY FOUR (4) HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE AND LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

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 COMPLETE ALL NECESSARY PREPARATIONS AS THEY COULD EXPERIENCE STRONG TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BY THURSDAY NIGHT.

 LARGE SWELLS AND BATTERING WAVES COULD IMPACT THE NORTH AND EASTERN COAST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED ISLANDS INCLUSIVE OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

EXTENSIVE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS WITH MODERATE FLOODING POSSIBLE IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AS MARIA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO  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.

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.

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