2009 Bahamas Weather Conference Begins in Nassau

Ministry of Tourism Launches Bahamas Weather Conference Web Channel

NASSAU, Bahamas, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The 13th annual Bahamas Weather Conference began this morning at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. The annual event brings together top officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), National Hurricane Center (NHC), emergency managers and academia. Max Mayfield, former director of the NHC, coordinated the presentation of papers on relevant hurricane topics from tropical climatology and global warming to the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Seasonal Outlook from Dr. Phil Klotzbach and Dr. Bill Gray of Colorado State University. Overviews from each session are available via the Bahamas Weather Conference Web Channel, www.bahamaswxconference.com.

Bahamas Minister of Tourism Hon. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace opened the conference with a reminder that the destination, comprised of 700 islands stretching across 100,000 sq. miles, is a large region and that hurricanes passing across the southern islands of Inagua or Mayaguana may have no effect on weather in Nassau.

Session highlights from Thursday include:

• The Colorado State University outlook for the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane season calls for 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes.
• NHC Director Bill Read and Max Mayfield discussed the Saffir-Simpson scale and the addition of new storm surge warnings to better advise the public on the threat of storm surges.
• Max Mayfield provided a simple outline for developing a family disaster preparedness plan and visual tour of what should be in everyone's disaster kit.

Members of the media and weather enthusiasts can access these stories and more at www.bahamaswxconference.com. Each story can easily be embedded on other Web sites or shared directly from the Web channel. In addition, broadcast-quality copies of the stories can be ordered on the site and all content is available free of charge. Videos will be posted daily throughout the conference, which runs through April 18, and are also accessible via iTunes and the BahamasWXConference page on YouTube.

Life in the 700 Islands Of The Bahamas just keeps getting better. And it's easy to see why. With world-class diving and fishing, miles of picture perfect beaches, and gorgeous turquoise water, visitors have the opportunity to do everything or nothing at all. From Exuma, Eleuthera and Abaco to exciting Nassau/Paradise Island and Grand Bahama Island, this tropical paradise is as culturally diverse as it is vibrantly beautiful. For more information on travel packages, activities and accommodations, call 1-800-Bahamas or visit www.Bahamas.com. To purchase one-of-a-kind items and mementos from The Bahamas, visit www.eshopbahamas.com.

    Media Contacts:

    Judith HoSang                     Anita Johnson-Patty
    Weber Shandwick                   Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
    (718) 974-2823                    (954) 236-9292
    jhosang@webershandwick.com        ajohnson@bahamas.com

    Angelene Orth
    Weber Shandwick
    (212) 445-8303
    aorth@webershandwick.com

SOURCE Bahamas Ministry of Tourism

RELATED LINKS
http://www.bahamaswxconference.com