According to CANA, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis Friday called on Bahamians to take all necessary precautions as Hurricane Dorian posed a serious threat to the north-western section of the country.
A government statement said that Cabinet had advised that due to the proximity of the hurricane “which is expected to impact The Bahamas, all government offices, except for essential services, will close at noon today”.
“Based on the projected intensity of the storm residents are advised to heed the warnings issued by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Department of Meteorology, and stay tuned to further updates,” the statement said.
Minnis chaired a meeting on the preparations for the hurricane that the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) described as a “dangerous” storm.
NHC said that the hurricane was about 480 miles east of the north-western Bahamas with sustained winds of 110 miles per hour (mph).
It said that the present movement was north west at 10 mph and that a hurricane watch is in effect for the north western section of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
NHC said that a slower west-northwestward to westward motion of Dorian should begin later on Friday night and continue into early next week.
“On this track, the core of Dorian should move over the Atlantic well north of the southeastern and central Bahamas today and tomorrow, be near or over the northwestern Bahamas on Sunday, and be near the Florida peninsula late Monday.”
The NHC said that Dorian is expected to become a major hurricane later on Fridayand it will remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane while it moves near the northwestern Bahamas and approaches the Florida peninsula into early next week.
Hurricane conditions are possible in the northwestern Bahamas by Sunday, with tropical storm conditions possible by Saturday night or Sunday morning, the NHC said, adding that a life-threatening storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 10 to 15 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds in the northwestern Bahamas.
It warned that near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.
Hurricane Dorian is also expected to produce life-threatening flash floods.