NASSAU, BAHAMAS- The Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRM) says that it has activated its team to monitor a weather disturbance that rapidly intensified overnight near the Turks & Caicos islands.
The DRM said in a statement: “At 10:00 am The Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Authority activated its team to begin monitoring a weather disturbance which rapidly intensified overnight near the Turks & Caicos islands. This disturbance was quickly upgraded to Tropical Storm Oscar and a watch and subsequent warning were issued by the Department of Meteorology in quick succession.”
The statement continued: “As of 3:00 pm that tropical storm warning has been upgraded to a hurricane warning for the Southeast Bahamas which includes the islands of Mayaguana, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay, Ragged Island, and Inagua.
A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions will be felt within 36 hours.
“The Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Authority is closely monitoring Hurricane Oscar and has partially activated The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) and advised family island administrators to activate Incident Command Centres (ICCs) on the impacted islands. Additionally, our external Emergency Support Function groups and external stakeholders will mobilize in anticipation of imminent impact,” the DRM said.
The DRM Authority advises residents in the Southern Bahamas to prepare for imminent impact.
Residents are urged to prepare seven days’ worth of non-perishable food, clean water, power sources, and other emergency supplies. This system is expected to bring heavy rains and potential flooding. Residents are also advised to procure sandbags to protect their homes against potential flooding and make note of their nearest shelter in the event evacuation is required. A comprehensive list of shelters and preparedness information can be found at www.getready.gov.bs.
“If any area is at significant risk, the DRM Authority will issue an evacuation order for that area; please heed these orders immediately. We remind the public that the law does not mandate that first responders incur risk to rescue those who have chosen to ignore evacuation orders. By refusing to evacuate, a resident risks harm or being cut off from assistance until the all-clear is given. The DRM Authority and the Bahamas Department of Meteorology will continue to provide updates on Hurricane Oscar and we advise the public to closely monitor these official sources for updates and alerts,” the statement concluded.
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