Tropical Storm Erika showing signs of weakness

NASSAU, The Bahamas – A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for the Central and Southeast Bahamas, which includes the Islands of Long Island, Cat Island, The Exumas, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Inagu

NASSAU, The Bahamas – A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for the Central and Southeast Bahamas, which includes the Islands of Long Island, Cat Island, The Exumas, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Inagua, Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, and Ragged Island. Tropical Storm conditions may include sustained winds of up to 50 mph, as well as rainfall with predicted maximum amounts of 12 inches possible for these islands within the next 36 hours.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the Northwest Bahamas, which includes the islands of Nassau (New Providence), Andros, Bimini, The Berry Islands, Grand Bahama and Abaco. This means that tropical storm conditions may possibly be experienced in these islands within the next 48 hours.

Safety of visitors and residents is paramount to The Islands of The Bahamas, and we will continue to keep everyone updated on the progress of Tropical Storm Erika.

Once again, it is important to keep in mind that The Bahamas is an archipelago with more than 700 islands and cays, spread over 100,000 square miles. This means that while there might be a tropical storm or warning for the Central, Southeast and Northwest Bahamas, there may be certain islands and areas that will remain unaffected. We have been fortunate enough that hurricanes and major tropical storms have rarely affected the entire country.

All hotels and resorts throughout The Islands Of The Bahamas have activated their hurricane programs and are taking all necessary precautions to protect visitors and residents, as safety remains the highest priority.

All airports throughout The Bahamas remain open at this time, however, all Bahamasair flights on Saturday, August 29 to Long Island, Acklins and Crooked Island will be canceled, and on Sunday, August 30 all fights to Long Island, San Salvador, and Exuma will be canceled.

All other flights will operate as usual until further notice.

Currently, no cruise calls have been cancelled. The Port of Nassau is schedule to close on Sunday, August 30th until further notice.

At 11:00 AM EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Erika was located near latitude 17.7 North, longitude 69.4 West. Erika is moving toward the west-northwest near 18 mph (30 km/h) and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 48 hours. On the forecast track, the center of Erika will move over the Dominican Republic this afternoon, move near the Turks and Caicos Islands tonight, and approach the Central and Northwestern Bahamas Saturday and Saturday night. Maximum sustained winds are currently near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Some weakening is forecast today as Erika moves over land, followed by little change in strength through Saturday.

Residents in the Central and Southeast Bahamas are advised to make final preparations to secure their properties for tropical storm conditions. Residents in Northwest Bahamas should begin to secure their properties for tropical storm conditions.

Small craft operators in the Warning area should remain in port, while small craft operators in the Watch and Alert areas should continue to monitor the progress of Erika.

We encourage everyone to access the National Hurricane Center and The Weather Channel for latest updates.

For more information on Tropical Strom Erika and The Islands Of The Bahamas, travel professionals and consumers are advised to access the following:

The National Hurricane Center

The Weather Channel

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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