Ships steer clear of Bahamas as Matthew menaces sea

5 October 2016, 4:11 pm

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Several cruise ships are being rerouted from their regularly scheduled Caribbean and Bahamas ports to Key West as Hurricane Matthew bears down on the region.

Key West is about 40 miles south of the portion of the Florida not currently under a tropical storm warning.

As Hurricane Matthew approaches the Bahamas, officials say nine Royal Bahamas Defense Force vessels have moored at Truman Harbor in Key West.

A resident runs in as flooded street as Hurricane Matthew roars over Baracoa, Cuba, Tuesday, October 4, 2016. (AP/Ramon Espinosa)

Naval Air Station Key West spokeswoman Trice Denny says a University of Miami Rosentiel School research vessel called the Whalton Smith is expected to arrive in port in Key West on Wednesday.

Officials are also expecting the USNS Spearhead on Saturday, a 337-foot-long joint (Navy/Army) high-speed catamaran vessel, to be positioned in Key West for possible aid missions.

— AP