Hurricane Irene is expected to make a near hit of New Providence beginning later today after passing over the southeastern Bahamas last night.
Irene moved into The Bahamas as a category two hurricane yesterday afternoon, but was downgraded to a category one just as the tropical storm force winds on the outskirts of the storm began to affect Inagua. However, the storm is expected to strengthen as it approaches the central and northern Bahamas.
According to the National Hurricane Center of the United States, Irene packed maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour as it moved over the southeastern islands yesterday evening.
Officer in Charge of the Matthew Town, Inagua, Police Station Inspector Dennis Brown told The Nassau Guardian yesterday morning that shelters were opened and people were making final preparations to ride out the storm.
By yesterday evening, Brown said the streets of Inagua were clear of people and the wind had began to pick up substantially.
He said he and other island officials, as well as officers from the Royal Bahama Defence Force, were battened down in the island's command center at Enrica's Inn.
Commander of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Captain Stephen Russell said his office had been in touch with all of the island administrators in the southeastern Bahamas.
He said supplies and personnel were moved to the islands yesterday in preparation for the aftermath of the storm.
Russell said he is most concerned about the low-lying islands in The Bahamas.
"The Exumas and South Andros are a concern because they are low-lying areas and people are scattered throughout the island in Andros and scattered across the cays," Russell said.
He added that there are 180 hurricane shelters across The Bahamas, most of which will be fully activated by this evening.
Russell said people who do not have adequate shelter should utilize these public shelters, especially on islands far from comprehensive medical facilities.
"Tuesday to Friday or Saturday is a long time for someone to be injured, so people should take it seriously and should not take any unnecessary risks," he said.  "We cannot evacuate them if they are seriously injured (until the storm passes)."
Brown told The Guardian that up to last evening there were at least 50 people in the shelter at St. Philip's Anglican Church on Inagua.
Mayaguana police Corporal Charles Edden told The Guardian yesterday evening that there was no one in the shelter at St. Christopher's Anglican Church and the wind had yet to pick up across the island.
However, he said residents were fully prepared and the command center at the island administrator's office had been activated.
Russell added that The Bahamas is fully prepared for the aftermath of the storm.
The HMBS Bahamas is on standby in the Cay Sal Bank to respond to the southeastern islands as soon as the storm passes and NEMA officials are also on standby, he said.
Russell added that The Bahamas' international partners are also on call just in case The Bahamas needs international assistance.
"We are not in this alone and once requests are made the resources can come in," he said.

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