TROPICAL STORM ERIKA: Residents should have prepared properties; boaters advised to monitor storm

ALERT #2 ON TROPICAL STORM ‘ERIKA’ ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY WEDNESDAY 26TH AUGUST 2015 AT 6 PM.

 TROPICAL STORM ERIKA CONTINUES TO WEST TO WEST-NORTHWESTWARD

TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND RAGGED ISLAND AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

TROPICAL STORM ALERT IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, CAT ISLAND, SAN SALVADOR, RUM CAY, AND LONG ISLAND.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA….GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS. AND TROPICAL STORM ALERT MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 60 HOURS

AT 5:00PM, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERIKA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.6 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 58.9 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 1304 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU,975 MILES  SOUTHEAST OF INAGUA AND 880 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

 TROPICAL STORM ERIKA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 17 MILES PER HOUR AND A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION AT A SLIGHTLY SLOWER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES FROM THE CENTER; PRIMARILY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.

RAINFALL: ERIKA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES.

RESIDENTS IN THE AFOREMENTIONED ISLAND SHOULD BEGIN TO SECURE THEIR PROPERTIES.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF ERIKA.