Alert #13 on Tropical Storm Franklin issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Tuesday 22nd August, 2023, at 9 pm EDT.
…LIFE-THREATENING FLOODING POSSIBLE ON HISPANIOLA THROUGH WEDNESDAY…
A Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
A Tropical Storm Watch means that Tropical Storm conditions could be experienced within the Turks and Caicos Islands within 48 hours.
At 8 pm EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Franklin was located near latitude 16.0 degrees north and longitude 71.4 degrees west, or about 395 miles south of Cockburn Town, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands.
Tropical Storm Franklin is drifting toward the north-northwest near 6 miles-per-hour. The system should turn towards the north tonight, and a northeast motion is expected by Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of Franklin is expected to approach the southern coast of Hispaniola tonight, cross the island on Wednesday, and then emerge over the southwestern Atlantic waters late Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 40 miles-per-hour with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next couple of days while Franklin moves near and across Hispaniola. Some strengthening is possible late Thursday into Friday as Franklin moves farther northeast over the southwestern Atlantic waters.
Tropical Storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles mainly to the east of the center.
Residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands should continue to make preparations for the possibility of Tropical Storm conditions beginning late Wednesday night.
Franklin is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches, with isolated higher amounts of 4 inches over the most easterly islands.
