TROPICAL STORM ERIKA: ALERT #12

ALERT #12 ON TROPICAL STORM ERIKA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF
METEOROLOGY AT 6 AM EDT, FRIDAY, 28TH AUGUST, 2015.

…TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS AND HEAVY RAIN STILL AFFECTING THE VIRGIN
ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO…

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
AND THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG
ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, SAN SALVADOR, RUM CAY INAGUA, MAYAGUANA,
ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY AND RAGGED ISLAND AND THE TURKS AND
CAICOS ISLANDS.

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 NORTHWEST
BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ELEUTHERA, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS,
BIMINI, THE BERRY ISLANDS, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS CAN POSSIBLY BE
EXPERIENCED IN THOSE ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

AT 5:00 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERIKA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 17.7 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 67.7 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 155
MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF SANTO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 390 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
GRAND TURK, 430 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GREAT INAGUA, 605 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF DEADMAN’S CAY, LONG ISLAND AND 800 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

ERIKA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 17 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS.  ON THE
FORECAST  TRACK, THE CENTER OF ERIKA WILL MOVE OVER THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TODAY, MOVE NEAR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
TONIGHT, AND MOVE NEAR THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST BAHAMAS SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME
WEAKENING IS FORECAST TODAY AS ERIKA MOVES OVER LAND, FOLLOWED BY LITTLE
CHANGE IN STRENGTH THROUGH SATURDAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES OF 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 CENTRAL
AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THROUGHSATURDAY.
THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING THROUGHOUT THESE
ISLANDS, PARTICULARLY LOW-LYING AREAS.

RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, THE EXUMAS,
SAN SALVADOR RUM CAY, INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY
AND RAGGED ISLAND SHOULD MAKE FINAL PREPARARTIONS TO SECURE THEIR
PROPERTIES FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS.  RESIDENTS IN NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ELEUTHERA, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, BIMINI,
THE BERRY ISLANDS, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO, SHOULD BEGIN TO SECURE THEIR
PROPERTIES FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE WARNING AREA SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT, WHILE
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE WATCH AND ALERT AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO
MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF ERIKA.