Photos going around social media before 7pm of damage at the YMCA in Freeport, Grand Bahama caused by a tornado (Photo credit: GB Regatta Committee)
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Wayne Neely, Bahamas Met Office - It was reported by some residents in Grand Bahama in the vicinity of YMCA late this afternoon that a tornado touched down and did some damage to the property, bleachers and a resident's home damaging her window and uprooting a tree. A severe weather warning was issued for Freeport earlier this afternoon before the tornado touched down.
It seems that for the last 2-3 years these tornados have been occurring more frequently than the norm but thank God no one was hurt as yet...In my years in the Met Service, this is the most frequent they have been occurring...Thankfully nowadays every phone has a camera to document these storms whereas previously we would get some calls but now they simply send us their camera photos to go along with their accounts...Thankfully the Severe Weather Warnings issued by the Bahamas Department of Meteorology have also been a great help to warn the residents throughout The Bahamas, thus saving lives...
THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF
METEOROLOGY ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FROM 5:50PM EDT UNTIL
8:50PM FRIDAY 01ST JULY 2016.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE
GRAND BAHAMA AND THEIR ADJACENT WATERS.
AT
5:50PM OBSERVATION, RADAR
AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS NEAR STATIONARY OVER THE AREA.
SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE SEVERE AT TIMES CAUSING STRONG GUSTY WINDS, DANGEROUS LIGHTNING, HEAVY
DOWNPOURS, HAIL AND POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT OR TORNADIC ACTIVITY.
BOATERS IN THE WARNING AREA
SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOUR AND RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS
AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS WHEN CONDITIONS WORSEN. RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT SEEK SHELTER
UNDER TREES OR IN WATER AS THESE CAN BECOME LIGHTENING CONDUCTORS
ISSUED BY:
FORECASTER ORSON NIXON
07/01/2016
