ALERT #20 ON TROPICAL STORM ERIKA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 6 AMEDT, SATURDAY, 29TH AUGUST, 2015.
…POORLY ORGANIZED ERIKA CONTINUES TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS IN HAITI…
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, SAN SALVADOR, RUM CAY, INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY AND RAGGED ISLAND AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS CAN POSSIBLY BE EXPERIENCED IN THOSE ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT 36 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ELEUTHERA, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, BIMINI, THE BERRY ISLANDS, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS CAN POSSIBLY BE EXPERIENCED IN THOSE ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
AT 5:00 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERIKA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 19.1 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 75.1 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 65 MILES SOUTH OF GUANTANAMO CUBA, 235 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GRAND TURK, 150MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREAT INAGUA, 245 MILES SOUTH OF DEADMAN’S CAY, LONG ISLAND AND 375 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
ERIKA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 20 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED ON SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF ERIKA WILL MOVE NEAR OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN CUBA LATER TODAY AND MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL CUBA TONIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ERIKA IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION TODAY AS IT MOVES OVER LAND AND POSSIBLY DEGENERATE INTO A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WHILE IT MOVES OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN OF EASTERN CUBA.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES OF THE CENTER.
EVEN THOUGH ERIKA IS WEAKENING AND HAS ASSUMED A TRACK THAT WOULD TAKE IT SOUTH AND WEST OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS, RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE ASKED TO REMAIN VIGILANT UNTIL AN ALL CLEAR SIGNAL IS ISSUED. THE OUTER BANDS OF ERIKA ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THROUGH SUNDAY. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING THROUGHOUT THESE ISLANDS, PARTICULARLY LOW-LYING AREAS.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE WARNING AREA SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT, WHILE SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE WATCH AND ALERT AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF ERIKA.
