Meteorologist Trinard Tynes updating Minster for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Grand Bahama and MP for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, Kingsley Smith and emergency/disasters responders on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 on Hurricane Milton at the Emergency Operations Centre and Incident Command Centre for West Grand Bahama in the Obadiah H. Wilchcombe Complex as the system closes in on Florida. (BIS Photo/Jamika Culmer)

GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas – The Bahamas Government has already activated one shelter in Abaco and is set to open four in Grand Bahama and two in Bimini on Thursday, October 10, 2024, as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida and the Northern Bahamas remains under a tropical storm warning.

According to Assistant Director of Social Services Fran Brice, who oversees the shelters on Bimini and Abaco, Central Abaco Primary in Dundas Town was activated as of 7:00pm on October 8, 2024 and Bimini’s Command Centre, October 9 at 5:00pm.

Furthermore, the two shelters set for activation in Alice Town, Bimini, as of 9:00am on Thursday, October 10 are the Louise McDonald High School and the Urban Renewal Center.

As for Grand Bahama, Assistant Director of Social Services Jodie Burrows revealed that four shelters are ready for activation on October 10.

The Foster B. Pestaina Centre, which is equipped to accommodate residents with special needs, will be activated at 8:00am while the Eight Mile Rock High School Gymnasium, the St. George’s High School Gymnasium and Maurice Moore Primary School will be activated at 9:00am.

Burrows noted that the Department of Social Services is collaborating with the Department of Meteorology and Administrator Kenwood Cartwright and will update the general public regarding shelter activations according to the latest meteorological advisement.

In the meantime, the remaining nine shelters for Central Grand Bahama on standby on the 2024 List are:

Outreach Temple, Pioneer’s Way and Fawcett Lane
First Baptist Church, Columbus Drive
Central Church of God, Coral Road
Jack Hayward Junior High School, Settler’s Way
Shiloh Seventh Day Adventist, Sandcombe Road
The Cancer Society, Norma Headly Highway
Revelations Apostolic Int’l, Jobson Avenue
First Holiness Church of God, Young Husband Avenue
The Eleanor Jervis Community Shelter, Gambier Drive

In West Grand Bahama, the other seven shelters on the list are:

Bethany Baptist Church, Hanna Hill (Creole Speaking)
Bethel Deliverance Church, Jones Town
Church of God of Prophecy, Sea Grape
Central Zion Church, Pinedale
Bethel Baptist Church, Pinedale
Church of God of Prophecy, Pinedale
New Mount Olivet Fellowship Hall, Holmes Rock