Police officers cordoning off Wharf Road after heavy surf from Hurricane Maria.
Hurricane Maria made her presence felt with the high surf.
AFTER hours of persistent rainfall, the Tropical Storm Watch was discontinued for Barbados yesterday at 2 p.m.
Barbados received a mere brush overnight from Hurricane Maria, which had quickly developed into a Category Three storm yesterday afternoon, drenching the island with moderate to heavy rainfall and high winds. The island was placed under Tropical Storm Watch on Saturday evening.
According to Advisory #9 A, issued by the Barbados Meteorological Services at 2 p.m., Hurricane Maria was located near 14.9°N or 60.4°W 136 miles north-northwest of Barbados. Maximum sustained winds at that time increased to nearly 125 mph with higher gusts.
“The system continues to move west-northward at 10 mph away from Barbados and as a consequence, the threat to Barbados has diminished.”
However, it was noted that with wind speeds ranging between 20 to 35 mph, higher gusts were expected to continue to affect the island during the afternoon and into last night.
The flood warning remained in effect until 6 p.m. yesterday while a high surf and small-craft warning were in effect until today, Tuesday at 12 noon.
A small-craft warning means in this case, that swells equal to greater than 3m or 10 feet will be affecting the marine area. A High-Surf Advisory is issued when breaking wave action poses a threat to life and property within the surf zone.
In a statement issued by the Department of Emergency Management, Acting Deputy Director Captain Robert Harewood revealed that with the passage of the system, the National Emergency Operations Centre received 19 reports of flooding and reports of power outages across the island, which were dealt with by the Barbados Light and Power Company Ltd., the Drainage Division and the Barbados Water Authority.
With large south-easterly swells of at least 13 to 20 feet forecasted to accompany the system and a high-surf advisory and small-craft warning remain in effect until noon today, Tuesday, September 19. “Residents are therefore urged to continue to be on the alert and take all necessary precautions,” Captain Harewood advised.
However, feeder bands trailing the southern side of Hurricane Maria prompted the MET Office to extend the flood warning until 6 a.m. this morning.
The island was expected to continue to experience intermittent spells of moderate to heavy showers, thunderstorms and gusty winds for at least another 12 hours after the extension at 5 p.m. yesterday evening.