ALERT #18 ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, SATURDAY 22ND AUGUST 2020, AT NOON EDT.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, AND SAMANA CAY.

 

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

 

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

 

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, EXUMA, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.

 

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS. 

 

A TROPICAL STORM ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO, BIMINI, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA AND NEW PROVIDENCE.

 

A TROPICAL STORM ALERT MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 60 HOURS.

 

AT 11 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM LAURA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.8 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 66.8 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PONCE, PUERTO RICO, OR ABOUT 380 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, OR ABOUT 500 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF INAGUA, OR ABOUT 835 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

 

LAURA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 21 MPH AND A GENERALLY WESTNORTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF LAURA WILL PASS NEAR THE SOUTH COAST OF PUERTO RICO TODAY, NEAR OR OVER HISPANIOLA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT, AND SOUTH OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ON SUNDAY.

 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

 

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER.

 

LOCALIZED FLOODING AND GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED ISLANDS AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

 

RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETE PREPARATIONS FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, AND RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PREPARE FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING SUNDAY AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE ALERTS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY. THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA WILL BE ISSUED AT 3 PM EDT TODAY. 

 

ISSUED BY: JEFFREY SIMMONS