ALERT #1 ON HURRICANE IAN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, TUESDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER, 2022 AT 6PM EDT.
…LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE, CATASTROPHIC WINDS AND FLOODING EXPECTED WITH IAN IN THE FLORIDA PENINSULA…
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF GRAND BAHAMA AND THE BIMINIS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 5 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 83.2 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF DRY TORTUGAS, OR ABOUT 275 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF ALICE TOWN, BIMINI, OR ABOUT 325 WEST OF RED BAYS, ANDROS, OR ABOUT 330 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA, OR ABOUT 375 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
HURRICANE IAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 10 MPH. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST WITH A REDUCTION IN FORWARD SPEED IS FORECAST TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF IAN IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO TODAY, PASS WEST OF THE FLORIDA KEYS LATER TONIGHT, AND APPROACH THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IAN IS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. RE-STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. IAN IS FORECAST TO APPROACH THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA AS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MAJOR HURRICANE.
HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES.
RESIDENTS IN GRAND BAHAMA AND THE BIMINIS ARE ASKED TO PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. RESIDENTS IN THE REMAINDER OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, INCLUDING ABACO, BERRY ISLANDS, NORTH ANDROS, NEW PROVIDENCE AND ELEUTHERA, WINDS GUSTING TO GALE-FORCE DURING THAT PERIOD.
RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE IAN WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE ISLANDS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. RESIDENTS IN THESE ISLANDS ARE ASKED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AS THESE RAINBANDS WILL BRING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE TORNADIC ACTIVITY.
TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF UP TO 8 INCHES THROUGH FRIDAY. AS A RESULT, SEVERE LOCALIZED FLOODING IS POSSIBLE IN LOW-LYING AND FLOOD-PRONE AREAS
