000
WTNT33 KNHC 031433
TCPAT3
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM HANNA ADVISORY NUMBER 27
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL082008
1100 AM AST WED SEP 03 2008

...HANNA GETTING LARGER...BUT NOT STRONGER...AS IT EDGES
NORTHWARD...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...THE
SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT IN HISPANIOLA FROM PORT
AU PRINCE HAITI NORTHWARD AND WESTWARD TO PUERTO PLATA IN THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

INTERESTS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES SHOULD MONITOR THE
PROGRESS OF HANNA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 1100 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 71.8 WEST OR ABOUT 95
MILES...155 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GREAT INAGUA ISLAND AND ABOUT 75
MILES...125 KM...SOUTHWEST OF GRAND TURK ISLAND.

HANNA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 6 MPH...9 KM/HR. A TURN TO
THE NORTHWEST WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER
THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF HANNA
SHOULD BE MOVING THROUGH OR JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST TODAY...BUT HANNA
COULD REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH TOMORROW OR ON FRIDAY.

HANNA HAS BECOME A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 290 MILES...465 KM...MAINLY TO THE NORTH
OF THE CENTER.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 997 MB...29.44 INCHES.

HANNA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES...
WITH MAXIMUM ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES...OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN
BAHAMAS...THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS...AND EASTERN CUBA. RAINFALL
TOTALS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO
15 INCHES...ARE POSSIBLE OVER HISPANIOLA...WHERE THESE RAINS COULD
CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. MODERATE TO
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA
BY FRIDAY MORNING.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE FLOW WITHIN THE HURRICANE
WARNING AREA.

SWELLS FROM HANNA ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP
CURRENTS ALONG PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES COAST
DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

REPEATING THE 1100 AM AST POSITION...20.6 N...71.8 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...997 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 200 PM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 500
PM AST.

Emergency warnings have been issued in the Bahamas as Tropical Storm Hanna approaches, having already left at least 21 people dead in Haiti.

It hit the Caribbean as Gustav, a storm which killed 77 in Haiti last week, crossed the US coast at Louisiana.

Hanna, which could reach hurricane strength as it heads towards the US, has also dumped heavy rain on Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Two more major storms, Josephine and Ike, are following in Hanna's path.

Hurricane shelters were being readied across the Bahamas archipelago as residents in the northern town of Freeport stocked up on emergency supplies in anticipation of Hanna's arrival, reports said.


As of 0900 GMT on Wednesday, Hanna was centred about 90 miles (145km) south-east of Great Inagua island and drifting slowly northwards, the US National Hurricane Center said.

It forecast Hanna would head over the Bahamas and towards the south-east coast of the US in the next few days.

'Ripping up trees'

Haiti's northern city of Gonaives bore the brunt of Hanna's maximum sustained winds of 100km/h (65mph) on Tuesday, with people on roof-tops screaming for help as floods reached depths of two metres (6.5ft).


Eyewitness: Haiti's ordeals
"A lot of people have been climbing onto the tops of their houses since last night to escape the flooding," Alta Jean-Baptiste, the head of the Caribbean country's civil protection agency, told Reuters news agency.

UN peacekeepers and aid workers have been trying to reach stranded survivors.

"The situation is as bad as it can be," the UN's Vadre Louis told the Associated Press news agency.

"The wind is ripping up trees. Houses are flooded with water. Cars can't drive on the street. You can't rescue anyone, wherever they may be."

Four years ago, a powerful storm left more than 3,000 people dead in Gonaives.

Storms have killed more than 100 people in Haiti in the last three weeks.

The poor Caribbean island was first drenched by Tropical Storm Fay, before Hurricane Gustav wreaked havoc last week, with torrential rainfall over heavily deforested and hilly terrain causing floods and mudslides.

The situation is likely to worsen in coming days, as following in Hanna's path across the Atlantic is Tropical Storm Ike - which is projected to hit the Bahamas on Sunday as a hurricane - and Tropical Storm Josephine.

Police also reported that investigations were continuing on Grand Bahama over the weekend into two armed robberies.

According to police, around 10:50 a.m. Friday a supervisor at the Grand Bahama shipyard reported that two employees informed him that they were robbed on Thursday evening in the Lucayan area.

Officers travelled to the shipyard where they interviewed the two victims, a 42-year-old and a 35-year-old, both Peruvian nationals, Mr. Rahming said.

The victims were accosted by two black males who emerged from a red car, one armed with a lead pipe and the other with a handgun, shortly after they returned a shopping cart to the Lucaya City Market Store around 9:15 pm Thursday, according to police reports.

The 42-year-old was reportedly robbed of his wallet, which contained an undetermined amount of cash, and other personal items.

The culprits escaped in the vehicle, Mr. Rahming said.

Additionally, Chief Superintendent Rahming reported that police received a call around 11:55 p.m. last Friday informing them of an armed robbery at the Sand Bar in Mather Town.

Witnesses told the responding officers that about 10 minutes earlier two masked men, one of whom was armed with a shotgun, approached the establishment and shot out the glass door.

Upon entering the premises they demanded cash, Mr. Rahming said.

The bandits robbed the manager and an employee of an undetermined amount of cash, a black Motorola cell phone and an orange-coloured, island print purse, according to police.

One of the culprits was described as being between 5 feet 9 inches and six feet tall.

Both men were said to be dark complexioned.

They made their escape on foot, Mr. Rahming said.