The Big Story

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Despite the "all clear" given for all of The Bahamas around 9am, residents on Grand Bahama, Bimini and the Berry islands were still experiencing thunderstorms, heavy rain, and strong winds as Isaias made its way out of The Bahamas. Shortly after the announcement by the National Emergency Management Agency, Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness advised that...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Isaias has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it exits Andros and shifts eastward toward Bimini, according to the National Hurricane Center. However, Senior Deputy Director in the Department of Meteorology Jeffrey Simmons warned residents against “relaxing” as the storm was projected to re-intensify around 11pm as it passes over Bimini, bringing strong hurricane force winds to the...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) has advised that while customers in Bimini, Great Harbour Cay, Rum Cay and Inagua have been restored, controlled outages on several islands throughout the country will continue as Hurricane Isaias makes its way out of The Bahamas. In its latest update, BPL indicated that advance teams were out in New Providence assessing...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — An 11-member Bahamas-based USAID team of disaster experts has been activated in The Bahamas, according to a US Embassy official. “The US and NEMA cooperate of disaster preparedness, year-round, including training on disaster risk reduction, school safety, shelter management and damage assessment,” the official told Eyewitness News. “In anticipation of Hurricane Isaias, a team of 11 Bahamas-based...

135 people in shelters across The Bahamas NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness Iram Lewis today said there are 135 people in shelters across the country as Hurricane Isaias continues to track through the northwestern Bahamas. Lewis urged West End and other coastal communities to evacuate due to the storm's projected impact on west Grand Bahama. He...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Residents in Eleuthera, Abaco, and Grand Bahama are now experiencing tropical storm force winds, which are expected to subside over Eleuthera this afternoon and over Abaco tonight, according to the Department of Meteorology. New Providence was expected to experience strong tropical storm force winds this morning, before subsiding this afternoon. “Tropical storm force winds will continue over...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — There are 53 people in shelters in Andros, according to Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness Iram Lewis. Lewis is expected to provide an update on Hurricane Isaias' impact at 9.30am from Grand Bahama. On its current forecast track, the storm is projected to move on land in Andros in the vicinity of Fresh Creek at 10am,...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Power and Light has advised that high hurricane gusts and trees have forced outages in New Providence due to damage to overhead lines and associated equipment. Customers in hurricane contingency level one areas remain offline, according to BPL in a statement. Contingency level one areas affected include: Sea Breeze, South Beach Estates, Sans Souci, Skyline Heights,...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — After some strengthening overnight, the center of Hurricane Isaias is approaching North Andros with 85 mph winds. At 6am, the center of the storm was 70 miles southeast of Fresh Creek, Andros, 210 miles south-southeast of Freeport, Grand Bahama, and 80 miles south-southeast of New Providence. On its current forecast track, the storm is projected to move...

66 new confirmed COVID-19 cases NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Health officials confirmed 66 new cases of coronavirus yesterday, taking the number of cases in the country to have 574. There are 467 active cases in the country. Officials indicated that since the opening of the country, 4,246 Bahamians traveled to international destinations - the majority of which were COVID-19 hotspots. To date,...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — While the all-clear was given for Inagua and Turks and Caicos Islands yesterday, Hurricane Isaias continued to crawl across The Bahamas as officials moved to mobilize shelters in the capital. The Department of Meteorology advised that while wind speeds for those all-clear islands were less than 39 mph, it does not mean they were not susceptible to...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd (BPL) has advised that three of its feeders have been shut down due to hurricane conditions. According to a statement, the feeder for the eastern-most portion of the Eastern Road was shut down first at 10.56pm Friday. "At 11.16pm Friday, a controlled shutdown was executed in the Winton Highway area," it...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Hurricane Isaias continues to bring heavy rain and strong tropical storm force winds over Long Island, Exuma and other central islands of The Bahamas, with some of the northwestern islands now experiencing adverse weather. The tropical storm force conditions over Long Island and Exuma were expected to subside at around 10pm. As of 7.30pm, Long Island administrator Desiree...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Tropical storm force winds and some hurricane conditions are now being felt in the central islands of The Bahamas as Hurricane Isaias barrels closer to the northwest part of the archipelago. “Tropical storm conditions are now being experienced in and around Crooked Island and Acklins and conditions are beginning to subside over the Turks and Caicos Islands,”...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The National Emergency Management Agency has advised that 10 shelters are open on New Providence. Those shelters include: Berea Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Baillou Hill Road South; Canon Neil E. Roach Hall at Holy Cross Anglican Church, Highbury Park; Hillview Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Tonique Williams Darling Highway; New Bethlehem Baptist Church, Independence Drive; New Providence Community Centre, Blake...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Power and Light has advised it will shut off power to high-risk areas in the New Providence grid at 8pm this evening. In a statement, the company said the controlled shutdown will only become necessary if Hurricane Isaias maintains current conditions and New Providence sees sustained winds of 40 mph. "Should it prove necessary and storm...

A third system in Atlantic with 20 percent chance of formation NASSAU, BAHAMAS — "Strong winds and heavy squalls" continue to lash the southeastern islands of The Bahamas as Hurricane Isaias makes its way up the chain of islands and draws down on New Providence. According to the National Hurricane Centre, Isaias could strengthen further over the next 24 hours...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Isaias formed into a hurricane overnight with maximum sustained winds of 80mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Around 2am, the National Hurricane Center issued a warning to the northwestern, southeast and central Bahamas as the Category 1 storm moves closer to Great Inagua. Those northwest islands include Andros, New Providence, Eleuthera, Abacos Islands, Berry Islands, Grand Bahamas,...