ALERT #11 ON TROPICAL STORM ERIKA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 3AM EDT, FRIDAY, 28TH AUGUST, 2015.
…TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AFFECTING PORTIONS OF PUERTO RICO…
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY AND RAGGED ISLAND.
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 IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, SAN SALVADOR AND RUM CAY.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS CAN POSSIBLY BE EXPERIENCED IN THOSE ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM ALERT IS NOW 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 ALERT MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS CAN POSSIBLY BE EXPERIENCED IN THOSE ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT 60 HOURS.
AT 03:00 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERIKA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.3 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 66.63 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 145 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO, 373 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK, 436 MILES SOUTHEAST OF INAGUA AND 755 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
ERIKA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 17 MPH. A TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS ANTICIPATED LATER TODAY, AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY. ON THIS TRACK, THE CENTER OF ERIKA WILL MOVE NEAR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
ERIKA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THROUGH SATURDAY.
RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND AND RAGGED ISLAND SHOULD MAKE FINAL PREPARATIONS TO SECURE THEIR PROPERTIES FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS. RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, SAN SALVADOR AND RUM CAY, SHOULD BEGIN TO SECURE THEIR PROPERTIES FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS. DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM ERIKA, MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING SHOULD BE EXPECTED.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT, WHILE SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE WATCH AND ALERT AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF ERIKA.
