Locals urged to prepare

NASSAU (CMC):

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham yesterday appealed to Bahamians to heed the warnings of the meteorological officials seriously and to complete all preparations as the country braces for the passage of a strengthening Hurricane Irene.

In a nationwide radio and television broadcast, Ingraham said that Hurricane Irene, which is packing winds of 100 miles per hour and is due to affect the chain of islands, is coming on the 19th anniversary of the passage of Hurricane Andrew that wrecked havoc on a number of the Family Islands.

He said the lessons learnt from Andrew set the stage for hurricane preparedness and response in the country and led to the formalisation of emergency response in the National Emergency Management Agency.