Weather Alert – U.S. Embassy Nassau, The Bahamas (October 9, 2024)
Location: Northern Bahamas
Event: As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida as an extremely strong Category 4 or 5 hurricane, a Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for the islands of the Northern Bahamas. This includes Grand Bahama (Freeport), The Abacos, Bimini, adjacent cays and surrounding waters. A Tropical Storm Warning means that Tropical Storm conditions could be experienced in these locations within 36 hours. According to the Bahamas Department of Meteorology (met.gov.bs), rain bands from the hurricane will begin to spiral across the Northern and Northwest Bahamas by late this afternoon. Residents in the islands of Bimini, Grand Bahama, Abaco, and surrounding Cays, are urged to continue preparations for possible tropical storm conditions expected to begin this evening. Tropical storm conditions include winds over 40 MPH, heavy rainfall, and thunderstorms with tornadic activity likely.
Due to safety concerns associated with the effects of Hurricane Milton, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau has cancelled all routine visa and U.S. Citizen Services on Thursday, October 10. Only emergency U.S. citizen consular services will be available.
Actions to Take:
- Avoid travel to the areas forecast to be impacted by the hurricane until the storm has dissipated.
- Severe flooding is anticipated in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Residents in or near known flood-prone areas should take extra precautions.
- Water inundation along coastal roads is expected and will worsen during high tide. Avoid these areas if possible.
- Small water craft should have sought safe harbor for their vessels and should remain in port until conditions are deemed safe.
- Monitor the local news, the National Hurricane Center (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml#Milton ), Bahamas Department of Meteorology website (https://met.gov.bs/ ), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) websites (https://www.noaa.gov/ ) for updates.
- Seek secure shelter.
- Visit the Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) website for long-range forecasts of hurricane, typhoon and cyclone worldwide (https://www.tropicalstormrisk.com/ ) for updated storm tracking information.
- Contact your airline directly for cancelled flight information or to re-book your travel.
Assistance:
