ISSUED BY: Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency
DATE: September 4, 2004
TIME: 14:00 pm


The Event: At 11:00am Eastern Caribbean Time, Hurricane Frances was located near the Island of Grand Bahama in the Northwestern Bahamas. A hurricane Warning for the Northwestern Bahamas continues to be in effect.

The Prognosis: Hurricane Frances slowed considerably overnight whilst continuing to impact the Northwestern Bahamas. It is expected to continue to drench the Northwestern areas with torrential rainfall for the remainder of today. The weather conditions in the central Bahamas continues to improve.

Status of RRM: The Regional Response Mechanism is activated. Caribbean Disaster Relief Unit (CDRU) on Standby

The Situation – BAHAMAS
The following update was provided by the National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) EOC at September 4, 2003:

Mayaguana - Electricity has been restored to the island.

Acklins/Crooked Island/Long Cay – Flooding, minor damage to High School, homes, and the Government Clinic. There is damage to the dock in Spring Point.

Long Island - Power is intermittent. There are fallen trees and flooding. Clean up underway.

Exuma - Weather conditions improving. Water supply restored.

San Salvador / Rum Cay – Five families homeless, another 100 have sustained damage to their homes. Damage to two Government schools, and other Government buildings; localised flooding. Power out, phone lines down. No loss of life.

North Eleuthera - Affected by winds in excess of 100 mph. Power down. No land base phone contact with Spanish Wells, N. Eleuthera and S. Eleuthera as fiber lines broken. General environmental damage and structural damage.

Harbor Island – Affected by 100 mph winds which caused widespread environmental damage and downed power lines. All public shelters filled. Roofing damage. No injuries reported. Roads impassable.

Central Eleuthera - Governor's Harbour sustained heavy flooding and some structural damage.

Hatchet Bay - heavy flooding and some structural damage, no electricity.

South Eleuthera - General flooding and structural damage, no electricity.

Cat Island - No water, no light, broken gas lines. Environmental damage.

North Andros - Utility poles are down, trees down, flooding, no injuries, no electricity.

Electricity is now on in some areas AA

Central Andros – Minimal impact. Telecommunication and electricity available.

South Andros / Mangrove Cay - No major damages. Few roofs have loose shingles. One floating dock in Driggs Hill broke away.

New Providence - Trees down blocking Dumping Ground Corner. Roof caved in at Shelter at Bethsheda United Missionary Baptist church, no injuries reported. Occupants moved to Calvary Deliverance Shelter. Cunningham closed off at Kemp Road across from Urich McPhee School Library. Mia Dean and Nay Dean (sister ships) aground at Rose Island. Two elderly persons aboard Mia Dean assisted by Defence Force (harbor patrol). Traffic Light Dangerously Hanging on Thompson Blvd. Corner West of Harbour Bay Centre Blocked by Trees. Trees and poles are down at Montague, number of electrical lines down in Fox Hill Area. Public Information Officer is working with the media to notify the public to continue to stay in doors until otherwise advised.

Nassau International Airport - NIA is up and running. Flights are being accepted.

Berry Islands - Power lines down and roof damage in Great Harbour Cay.

Abaco - In Central Abaco strong winds and torrential rain. In South Abaco cell phones and land phones are down; there is no electricity, contact being maintained with NEMA via satellite phone. In North Abaco part of the roof at the Government building which was used as the EOC collapsed and caused minor injuries. There are no utilities in North Abaco.

East Grand Bahama – No damage assessment as yet.

West Grand Bahama - Flooding in West End; electricity poles are down and there is no electricity as well as no phones. Roof blown off from barracks at Hanna Hill. Fishing Hole completely flooded. Residents of Queens Cove had to be evacuated. Weather personnel hand to be evacuated.

Freeport Grand Bahama - Windy 80 mph; Airport under six feet of water. Queens Cove under water; personnel taken to higher ground. West End and Queens Cove have no communication. Maurice Moore Primary has 150 persons in shelter. A few trees down; no power. North and South Bahama along with Trip Circle are now experiencing high water rise, now in process of relocating to Huge Campbell Shelter.

Ragged Island - No damage to any critical infrastructure. Telephones lines are up; electricity is on, no flooding and very little rain.

Bimini / Cat Cay – No damage reported.