HURRICANE JOAQUIN: ALERT #22 Weakens slightly, Downgraded to Category 3
JOAQUIN WEAKENS SLIGHTLY AS THE EYE PASSES NEAR SAN SALVADOR. HURRICANE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS FOR SEVERAL HOURS.
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE ABACOS, BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA, GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND, NEW PROVIDENCE, AND ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, AND MAYAGUANA IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BIMINI AND ANDROS ISLAND.
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 48 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ANDROS, THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 5PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.1 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.7 DEGREES WEST OR 15 MILES WEST NORTH-WEST OF SAN SALVADOR, 25 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF RUM CAY, 45 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF THE BIGHT, CAT ISLAND, AND 175 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT NEAR 7 MPH. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT, WITH A NORTHEASTWARD MOTION CONTINUING THROUGH SUNDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. JOAQUIN IS NOW A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME SLOW WEAKENING IS FORECASTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
ON ITS PRESENT TRACK, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING NEAR SAN SALVADOR TONIGHT. RESIDENTS IN RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR WILL EXPERIENCE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS THROUGH TONIGHT. MEANWHILE, RESIDENTS IN CAT ISLAND, EXUMA, LONG ISLAND, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLAND WILL EXPERIENCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE TONIGHT.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
HEAVY RAINFALL COULD RESULT IN LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODS OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THROUGH TODAY.
A VERY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 6 TO 12 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.
AGAIN, RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED PREPARATIONS FOR THE IMPACT OF JOAQUIN WHICH INCLUDES SEVERE FLOODING.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AS LARGE SWELLS AND BATTERING WAVES WILL AFFECT THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN WILL BE ISSUED AT 9PM EDT.