Although the Bahamas will be spared from the worst of Tropical Storm Humberto, the islands will still feel the effects of the system's presence.
Officials temporarily suspended aid efforts on Saturday, according to the Associated Press, including closing a few small airports. Distribution of meals in Grand Bahama were also reduced ahead of Tropical Storm Humberto, though resumed later Saturday in Marsh Harbour the news agency said.
"The weather system will slow down logistics," National Emergency Management Agency spokesman Carl Smith said.
Although the Bahamas aren't receiving the worst of the storm, they're still facing the fringe effects that will continue into Monday, including some flooding, rough surf and power outages.
"Rains are the biggest issue right now," Member of Parliament Iram Lewis told the AP by telephone. "People are still reeling from the first storm."
Mos Antenor, 42, drives a bulldozer while clearing the road after Hurricane Dorian Mclean's Town, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Friday Sept. 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
On islands like Great Abaco Island and Grand Bahama where Dorian made landfall, buildings remain pulverized as citizens continue to salvage what they can. It's in areas like these where not everyone may have a roof over their head.
"If they don't have a roof over their heads or they don't have tarp, however they're dealing with the situation, they're out in the elements. So that's going to be the big issue," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.
As of Saturday afternoon, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 6 inches is forecast for the Bahamas, and AccuWeather is projecting a Real Impact™ Scale of less than one in the northern Bahamas.
Wind gusts up to 40 mph will also be possible into Sunday morning as rounds of heavy rain move through the northern Bahamas. AccuWeather meteorologists forecast the worst impacts will occur into Saturday night.
Tropical Storm Humberto grew into its name Friday at 11 p.m., EDT. The government of the Bahamas discontinued the tropical storm warning for the northwestern Bahamas as of 5 p.m., EDT, Saturday as the storm loomed about 70 miles north of Great Abaco Island with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Tropical Storm Humberto is forecast to become a hurricane by Sunday night or early Monday.
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The track of the storm is forecast to steer above the Bahamas, curving farther out to sea and away from the United States eastern coast. However, Bahamian officials are still wary.
"As previous storms have taught us, things change very quickly. We want residents to take it seriously," Minister of State for Grand Bahama island Kwasi Thompson told the Associated Press on Friday, warning that the storm will affect the entire island.
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