HURRICANE MATTHEW: (ALERT 23)

EYE OF CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE MATTHEW OVER THE GULF OF GONAIVE HEADING FOR EASTERN CUBA. 

LIFE-THREATENING RAIN, WIND, AND STORM SURGE OVER PORTIONS OF HAITI.

A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE BAHAMAS. 

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. 

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS. 

 AT 11AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.3 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 115 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CAP HAITIEN, HAITI, 90 MILES SOUTH OF THE EASTERN TIP OF CUBA, 155 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA, 245 MILES SOUTH OF DUNCAN TOWN RAGGED ISLAND, 230 MILES SOUTH OF SALINA POINT ACKLINS AND 465 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE, 235 MILE SOUTHWEST OF PROVIDECIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS.

MATTHEW IS MOVING THROUGH THE GULF OF GONAIVE TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 10 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. ON THIS TRACK THE EYE WILL MOVE OVER THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AND OVER EASTERN CUBA TODAY. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY, FOLLOWED BY A NORTHWEST TURN WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY, APPROACHING THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  MATTHEW IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE.  SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A POWERFUL HURRICANE THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

 HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETE PREPARATION FOR HURRICANE CONDITIONS. PREPARATIONS IN THE SE, CENTRAL BAHAMAS, AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING INAGUA AND RAGGED ISLAND, FOLLOWED BY HURRICANE CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO AFFECT ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, MAYAGUANA, LONG ISLAND AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS TONIGHT. RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS ARE ALSO ADVISED TO LISTEN AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ALL ALERTS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY.

EXTENSIVE TO SEVERE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED AS MATTHEW IS FORECAST TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES.  MATTHEW IS ALSO EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AREAS SHOULD AT THIS TIME CONTACT THEIR LOCAL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR OR NEMA OFFICE TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR RELOCATION TO A HURRICANE SHELTER.

THE COMBINATION OF A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE AND LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES COULD RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE THROUGHOUT BAHAMAS.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AND SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR VESSELS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE PROPERLY SECURED.