Bahamas Dept. of Meteorology: Preparations Under Way for Hurricane Debby
LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's now go to someone who will be watching Debby up close. Trevor Basden is a meteorologist with the Bahamas Department of Meteorology. He is on the phone with us now from Paradise Island in the Bahamas. It may not look much like paradise later today. Mr. Basden, thank you for being with us. I know the storm is still pretty far out from you, what kind of a day is it like there today?</s>TREVOR BASDEN, BAHAMAS DEPT. OF METEOROLOGY: Yes. Well, in actual fact, I'm positioned on the island of New Providence at Nassau International Airport, and that is some six miles from Paradise Island. However, present conditions at Nassau International Airport, in terms of cloud, sunny and winds variable at three knots.</s>STOUFFER: Now, how are folks there preparing for the storm? and when do you think you'll feel the first effects of it?</s>BASDEN: Well, a warning was issued for the Turks & Caicos Islands for which we are responsible and also for the Southeast Bahamas. So hurricane preparations should have been completed for those islands. However, at 3:00 a.m. this morning, a hurricane warning came into effect for the Central Bahamas, that is like San Salvador, Rum Key, Cat Island, Long Island, and the Exuma Keys, and we are asking, now that it is daylight for them, to rush to completion all of their hurricane precautions.</s>STOUFFER: And do you see that people are taking this pretty seriously, is there any push to go to shelters or anything like that at this point?</s>BASDEN: Yes, Well, I understand that on the islands of Turks & Caicos Islands, I've heard that is already being dealt with, and we are also asking residents in the central Bahamas that, if they feel their dwellings are not sound, that they should contact local government administrators to seek advice on secure hurricane shelters.</s>STOUFFER: Trevor Basden, in New Providence in the Bahamas, thank you for your time today. I hope you can avoid Debby's damage. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com