NOAA News Online (Story 2307)

FRANCES SLOWLY APPROACHING GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND; HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUE TO RAKE THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS

(DISCLAIMER: See the NOAA National Hurricane Center for the latest information and more frequent updates on this storm. Complete advisories are posted at 11 a.m., 5 p.m., 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. All times are Eastern. Advisories are posted more frequently as the storm nears the USA mainland.)
Latest NOAA Satellite Image of Frances (Visible)	Latest NOAA Infrared Satellite Image of Frances	Latest NOAA Melbourne, Fla., Radar Image	NOAA Satellite/Radar Time Conversion

NOAA infrared satellite image of Hurricane Frances taken at 10:15 p.m. EDT on Sept. 3, 2004, as the storm continues moving toward the east coast of Florida.

Sept. 3, 2004 — At 11 p.m. EDT, the center of Hurricane Frances was located near latitude 26.1 north, longitude 77.8 west or about 70 miles east-southeast of Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. This is also about 150 miles east-southeast of West Palm Beach, Fla. Frances is moving toward the west-northwest near 6 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. However, steering currents remain weak and some erratic motion can be expected. On the forecast track, the large core of hurricane Frances will continue to move slowly over the northwestern Bahamas overnight and will be very near the Florida east coast by late Saturday, according to the NOAA Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. (Click NOAA infrared satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Frances taken at 10:15 p.m. EDT on Sept. 3, 2004, as the storm continues moving toward the east coast of Florida. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph with higher gusts. This makes Frances a strong category two hurricane. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible during the next 24 hours.

NOAA image of 11 p.m. EDT Hurricane Frances tracking map for Sept. 3, 2004.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 110 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 200 miles. A sustained wind of 81 mph was recently reported on north Eleuthera Island. During the past hour, ham radio operators at Hopetown on Abaco Island reported sustained winds of 69 mph with gusts to 81 mph at Hopetown. (Click NOAA image for larger view of 11 p.m. EDT Hurricane Frances tracking map for Sept. 3, 2004.)

The settlement Point C-Man Station on western Grand Bahama Island recently reported a sustained wind of 59 mph with a gust to 75 mph, while a sustained wind of 44 mph with a gust to 52 mph were reported at the Lake worth Florida C-man Station.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 960 mb, 28.35 inches. A ship in Marsh Harbor recently reported a pressure of 960 mb.

Storm surge flooding of 5 to 12 feet above normal tide levels, along with dangerous battering waves, can be expected near the eye of Frances on the north side of Grand Bahama Island. Storm surge flooding of 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels can be expected on the west side of the other islands of the Bahamas.

Coastal storm surge flooding of 4 to 5 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, can be expected near and to the north of where the center makes landfall in Florida. Storm surge flooding of 5 feet above normal lake water level is expected in Lake Okeechobee. Along the southwest Florida coast storm surge flooding of 1 to 3 feet above normal tide level can be expected.

Rainfall amounts of 7 to 12 inches, locally as high as 20 inches, are possible in association with Frances over the Bahamas.

Swells generated by Frances will be affecting portions of the southeastern coast of the United States. These swells could cause dangerous surf and rip currents.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the east coast of Florida from Florida City northward to Flagler Beach, including Lake Okeechobee. A hurricane warning also remains in effect for the northwestern Bahamas.

A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning remain in effect from north of Flagler Beach northward to Fernandina Beach.

At 11 p.m. EDT, a tropical storm warning was issued for the southwest Florida coast from Bonita Beach eastward to south of Florida City. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the middle and upper Florida Keys from south of Florida City southward
to the Seven Mile Bridge, including Florida Bay.

A tropical storm watch was issued for the Florida west coast from north of Bonita Beach northward to the Suwannee River.

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