Tropical Storm Erika is expected to reach The Bahamas by early Saturday morning as a category one hurricane, according to weather experts. On its projected track, Erika will hit Mayaguana first with winds of up to 75 mph. It is then expected to pass over Cat Island, Ragged Island and Eleuthera before it hits New Providence. Officials say all islands could be impacted if the system shifts.
Residents are urged to brace for heavy rainfall and strong winds. Substantial flooding is also expected. National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA)Director Stephen Russell said at a press conference at NEMA headquarters on Gladstone Road yesterday he is pleased with NEMA's state of readiness and called on residents to begin their individual preparations. "We are just monitoring [the system] now," he said. "Our alert mechanism will kick in truly once the Department of Meteorology advises that the country is at an alert stage. "The system is 60 hours out and once they go into the alert we will partially activate and then fully activate once the system approaches."
The Department of Meteorology is expected to issue an alert sometime today. In the meantime, Russell said all disaster preparedness teams are on standby and all family island administrators have been put on alert. Additionally, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force will deploy advanced teams to all of the threatened islands ahead of the storm in addition to impact teams once the system passes, Acting Lieutenant Commander Ricardo Barry said. The Ministry of Works is also clearing drains to minimize flooding, officials said.
Last night, the system was near the Leeward Islands packing winds around 45 mph, Chief Meteorological Officer Michael Stubbs said. "Erika is a minimal storm but as Erika nears The Bahamas it will become a hurricane as it enters the southern Bahamas," Stubbs said. "And that's expected to happen as we head into Friday and Saturday. "The conditions will include strong winds, along with high surfs and heavy rainfall. "So certainly flooding can be a major concern for those islands by Friday night, early Saturday morning, especially once it reaches hurricane strength. These winds can intensify, making it very difficult for people to go about one place to another."
Stubbs said people in low-lying areas need to seek shelter. "People must also start preparing and doing all of the necessary work as far as checking the outdoors to ensure that there is nothing that can become missiles, trimming trees near power lines, or seeking the assistance of authorities in so doing," he said. "Do whatever is necessary to repair leaky roofs or anywhere where water can enter the home or dwelling place." Stubbs warned residents to take the alerts seriously. "We want people to heed our recommendations, to take the necessary action because we want to minimize the loss of life and damage to property," he said. Russell said NEMA will announce the shelters that will be open in the next 36 hours. There are 160 shelters across the country.
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