“The hurricanes are no concern to us at this time”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — With parts of The Bahamas experiencing significant flooding due to excessive rain over the past few days, Department of Meteorology Senior Deputy Director Jeffrey Simmons said residents can expect even more rain in the coming days.
In an interview with Eyewitness News, Simmons explained that the recent rain showers were the result of subtle troughs in the area and a lot of upper-level systems.
He noted that during this time of the year, there are usually a lot of transitions going on with weather systems.
“On the horizon, we have a wave coming in a few days, so look for some rain to come with it also,” Simmons said.
Several parts of New Providence, including downtown, experienced significant flooding, with heavy rainfall reportedly rising at least eight inches above street level.
Despite the challenges of flooding, Simmons noted: “This is our rainy season and we have been having a lot of tropical waves passing through. During the summertime, this time of the year, we usually get a lot. They have been passing through quite often.
“…Those things are good in a sense at this time of the year because they help to keep away any hurricanes and all of that.”
There are currently two systems moving in the Atlantic: Hurricane Sam and Tropical Storm Victor.
But Simmons said: “The hurricanes are no concern to us at this time. We don’t see them being any threat to us at this time, not any of them that are out there.”
Hurricane preparedness
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director Captain Stephen Russell assured Eyewitness News in a recent interview that the agency is ready should a storm hit the country.
“We pray that we have a successful season as we had so far, but the bottom line is if something threatens The Bahamas, we will crank up our machine to alert the country in a timely matter so the necessary preparedness measures can continue,” he said.
Russell also noted that the agency’s shelter program is in place and NEMA is ready to activate it if necessary.
“We had our monthly meeting on Friday to make sure all agencies are in tuned as to what is going on in terms of preparedness for the remainder of the hurricane season as we continue to support the Ministry of Health with the COVID pandemic, and we also continue to support immigration and police and the defense force in the matter down in [the] southern Bahamas,” he added.
