Schools closed as Bahamians told to prepare for passage of Hurricane Milton

NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – Prime Minister Phillip Davis has announced the closure of schools on some islands in the Bahamas as he urged nationals to be prepared for tropical storm conditions as Hurricane Milton continues to strengthen as it approaches the western coast of Florida in the United States.

In a nationwide broadcast, Davis said that the Met Office has upgraded the status for islands in the Northern Bahamas from a 'Tropical Storm Watch' to a 'Tropical Storm Warning' as the Category 5 hurricane is expected to hit Florida later on Wednesday.

“This means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the next 36 hours on the islands of Abaco, Bimini and Grand Bahama, and the surrounding cays. While the threat is not as significant as that of the hurricane threat posed to our neighbours in Florida, we still need to take it seriously,” Davis said.

He said because of the heavy flooding which is expected to result from this, after consultation with the Minister of Education, he is announcing that all schools on those islands will be closed until Friday for in-person teaching.

“We do not want our young people having to navigate large areas of flooding while getting to and from school,” he added.

Davis said tropical storms are nothing new for the Bahamas given that “year after year we are told how we must prepare, and ready ourselves and our homes to keep us all safe.

“But we know how quickly things can change. This storm in particular has intensified extremely rapidly. And so, within the next 24 hours, it is important that you do all that you can to stay safe,” he said, adding that the Disaster Risk Management Authority has issued detailed guidance on how best to prepare.

“Please don't wait. If you haven't already done so, start preparing immediately,” Prime Davis said, adding that the Met Office advises that, as Hurricane Milton passes over Florida, tropical storm winds will be experienced on Abaco, Bimini and Grand Bahama, and the surrounding cays.

“These islands have already experienced excessive rainfall since Sunday from another storm system. And so the ground is already saturated with water. Heavy rainfall has also been experienced on other islands in recent days, namely on Andros, The Berry Islands, New Providence and Eleuthera. And now the rainfall from Hurricane Milton is expected to intensify, especially on Wednesday.”

Davis said that as a result there is likely to be extensive flooding and that the Met Office is also advising that from noon on Wednesday, heavy rainfall is also expected on the other islands, namely Andros, The Berry Islands, New Providence and Eleuthera.

He said that the Broadcast Alert System has already been activated on all mobile phones in the country and is urging everyone to “please pay attention to the alerts and follow the advice given.”

Davis said that for the past several months, he has held monthly meetings with the Disaster Risk Management Team and compared with what was in the past, the team has greatly enhanced the degree of national preparedness.

“They are coordinating efforts across all sectors, to ensure that the agency is ready to respond swiftly and effectively. I expect that those of you especially in Abaco and Grand Bahama may well find this time to be the cause of some anxiety.”

Davis said given the projected path of Hurricane Milton, and the fact that is not projected to make landfall in The Bahamas, there is no need for panic or alarm.

“Even so, much has been learned and improved upon from past experiences. One of the lessons is that it is better to take extra precautions, rather than be taken by surprise by unforeseen events. In other words: it's better to be safe than sorry.”

Davis said that the government is coordinating “our efforts with our consular offices and local Bahamian associations in Florida to provide assistance wherever possible.

“As Bahamians, we are no strangers to the challenges posed by tropical storms and hurricanes. We have faced them before, and we have emerged stronger each time. Let us remain vigilant, prepared, and ready to act,” he said in the broadcast.

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