The southeastern Bahamas is being hammered by Irene, a dangerous Category-Three hurricane with winds

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• published: 31 Jul 2015
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HEADLINE: Raw Video: Irene menaces the Bahamas CAPTION: The southeastern Bahamas is being hammered by Irene, a dangerous Category-Three hurricane with winds of just under 120-miles an hour. Forecasters say Irene could reach Category-Four status Thursday as it heads northwest. (Aug. 24) STORYLINE: A large and powerful Hurricane Irene was roaring its way Wednesday across the entire Bahamas archipelago, knocking down trees and tearing up roofs and posing the most severe threat to the smallest and least populated islands, officials said. Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said there have been no major injuries or deaths according to preliminary reports he has been receiving from throughout the widely scattered islands. But he added that they would not know the full extent of damage from the Category 3 storm until it is clear of the country on Friday. Ingraham said the latest storm data seemed to indicate that lightly populated Cat Island was in particular danger because the storm was expected to pass over the entire length of the island. Forecasters said New Providence, the largest and most populated island, would see tropical-storm-force winds for more than 12 hours. This was only the third time since 1866 that a hurricane has gone across the entire length of the island chain, Ingraham said, and the country was bracing for extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure. But the prime minister predicted few casualties overall. "As a general statement we do a fair job of managing hurricanes so personal injuries, we hope, will not be substantial," he said in an interview with The Associated Press at an emergency operations center in Nassau. "Property damage, vegetation, public infrastructure, yes, but as a general statement we would hope that personal injuries would be minimized." The latest forecast was good news for Nassau, which is on New Providence, and is home to more than 200,000 and is a major tourist destination. Capt. Stephen Russell, director of the National Emergency Management Agency, told AP that the capital should only see "the fringes of tropical storm winds," according to tracking data. "That should go very well for us unless the system alters its course during the next 24 hours," Russell said. Authorities set up emergency shelters throughout the country but most locals were expected to stay in their own homes or with friends and family while visitors stayed in the handful of hotels that remained open for what was expected to be a rough next few days. As darkness fell in the capital, and the first strong winds and rain began to lash the city, the streets were largely deserted. Earlier, the capital buzzed with last-minute preparations as people gathered what last-minute supplies were still available and shop owners boarded up their windows. Nassau, which surrounded by sparkling greenish-blue ocean, is known to flood even in heavy rain so the storm surge was expected to make many roads impassable, especially in the colonial downtown. Many visitors weren''t waiting around to find out what would happen and fled the country, waiting in long lines to catch planes before the airport closed. Some tourists had no choice but to leave since smaller hotels abruptly closed and larger ones were booked up with Bahamian residents looking for a place to ride out the storm. Others flying out simply didn''t want to take their chances with what could be a major storm. "I''ve been through one hurricane and I don''t want to see another," said Susan Hooper of Paris, Illinois, who was cutting short a trip with her husband, Marvin, to celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary. "My main concern is what if something happened to the airport. How would I get home?" You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d383476ea22fefea3398c90155a06d1a Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork