Forecasters are keeping a close eye on the season's second major hurricane, which could impact The Bahamas next week.
Hurricane Irma became a category three hurricane over the eastern Atlantic yesterday.
At 6 p.m., the storm had maximum sustained winds near 115 miles per hour.
Forecasters said fluctuations in strength were possible, but Irma was expected to remain a powerful hurricane for several days.
The storm was moving west-northwest at a speed of near 12 miles per hour. This motion was expected to continue today.
Yesterday, Director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Captain Stephen Russell urged residents in The Bahamas to watch the storm's progress and to start preparing for a possible impact.
"We're looking at the projected path, and it may very well affect a portion of The Bahamas over the next 10 days," Russell said.
"We continue to warn the citizens of The Bahamas to get prepared.
"Preparedness starts with you, your home and your island.
"We can send an appeal for persons to prepare their homes and businesses and to get prepared for approaching storms, but it is up to you to take heed.
"It's up to the individuals to prepare themselves.
"We can't go from door to door to make sure you have shutters on your homes and you have food stocked up in your house."
Russell said all government agencies are ready to respond, should the hurricane impact The Bahamas.
"All the government agencies are ready to respond when necessary but that's in the aftermath," he said.
"We're doing our best now to try to urge persons to prepare for what is coming."
The threat of Hurricane Irma comes as Texas remains devastated in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
The impact of Hurricane Matthew on The Bahamas last October, and Hurricane Joaquin the year before, is still fresh for many Bahamians and others who reside in the country.
Russell said yesterday "there has been little to no improvement" in repairing the 1,700 homes that still need to be repaired as a result of Matthew.
He said NEMA is still "having an issue with funding".
Despite this, he assured that NEMA is prepared to do its job in the aftermath of a hurricane.
"We met with the prime minster a few weeks ago to present the information," he said.
"I know some matters were supposed to go before Cabinet over the past weeks, so they can come to a final conclusion as to the way forward with funding for the repair and construction program.
"That's all I can share with you at this time."
In July, The Nassau Guardian reported that nearly 2,000 homes remained damaged.
Russell said though about $2 million was donated to NEMA after the hurricane, there is still a need for "an excess of $15 million more".

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian