Twenty-six Barbadians have already sought shelter ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa which is forecast to pass to the south of Barbados.
Minister of Home Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams, made that revelation moments ago on national radio, as Government continued to keep the country updated on the pending arrival of the year’s first named storm.
He added that maximum sustained winds associated with the storm around midnight were tracked at 50 miles per hour, but that number could increase.
“All those persons who are in houses that were affected by the freak system (two weeks ago) and your house is still covered with tarpaulin, that is not safe,” the minister stressed.
“If you live in an old house, please make your way to a shelter. This is about your safety.”
He noted that should people stay in their houses and then have to deal with severe weather, they could have to wait long periods for emergency officials to reach them.
“We can replace material things, but we can’t replace a life,” he stressed.
At midnight, the Barbados Meteorological Service reported the cyclone was moving in a west northwesterly direction at 26 miles per hour, and an even faster motion was expected over the next two days.
On its current track, the centre of Elsa was forecasted to pass about 20 miles to the south of Barbados. (BA)
