Senior Meteorologist: Grand Bahama Fared As We Expected

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NORTHERN BAHAMAS – It appears that the northern islands have weathered the storm as Hurricane Milton has passed.

Thursday brought sunny skies and strong winds to Grand Bahama, as residents were advised to prepare for tropical storm conditions. However, in the Eight Mile Rock community near Lovers Beach and the local Fish Fry area, flooding occurred on some roads—a situation senior meteorologist at the Department of Meteorology, Tranard Tynes, had predicted.

Tranard Tynes – Senior Meteorologist, Department of Meteorology, Grand Bahama
“The winds were our main concern. We did report that we expected some areas on the southern shore of the island, especially in the western part of Grand Bahama, to get some approachment of the seas over the high-water mark, and it did do exactly what we predicted. We had some debris this morning when I did my check early around 7 a.m. I saw some areas where we had stones, sand, conch shells, seaweed, and debris in the streets. We anticipated that happening. We got a little elevation, roughly about 1 to 3 feet, around 1 o’clock, which was exactly what we were anticipating.”

At the Emergency Operations Center in Freeport, government agencies continued to work diligently as they awaited the all-clear from meteorology officials. Administrator for the City of Freeport, Kenwood Cartwright, said there was no major damage on the island.

Kenwood Cartwright – Administrator, City of Freeport
“So far we fared pretty well. We had to activate four shelters yesterday evening just as a precaution for residents that would’ve needed to shelter.”

There was a small percentage of power issues reported on the island—less than 10%. Tynes noted that while the island enjoyed clear weather, this was part of the expected conditions.

Tranard Tynes – Senior Meteorologist, Department of Meteorology, Grand Bahama
“This is why we were telling people not to panic, not to worry. Ya know, stay prayed up and just follow the guidelines for what the Department of Meteorology was putting out. We did a very good job of anticipating the path of this system. I’m very happy that the public gave us the opportunity to do what we needed to do.”

Cartwright expressed his relief and said he is pleased with how well the island withstood the storm.

Kenwood Cartwright – Administrator, City of Freeport
“I think we prepared well enough. All teams present have been very outstanding. I couldn’t do this without them. They were present. They gave their updates as activation needed to take place.”