Bahamas confirms at least 5 dead and 'unprecedented, devastating' damage
At least five people have died because of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said, as the massive storm pounded the Caribbean nation on Monday (September 2), peeling off roofs, snapping power lines and inundating homes with flood water ahead of its expected advance on the US coast.
"We are in the midst of a historic tragedy in parts of northern Bahamas. Our mission and focus now is search, rescue and recovery. I ask for your prayers for those in affected areas and for our first responders," Minnis said in a news conference.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory at 5 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) that "extremely dangerous Dorian continues to bring life threatening conditions" to islands in the Bahamas.
It warned residents not to leave shelters until the eye of the hurricane passes. The storm's strongest winds are usually close to the eye.
As many as 13,000 homes in the Bahamas may have been destroyed or severely damaged, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said.
A Reuters witness staying in the hotel at the Abaco Beach Resort on the island of Great Abaco said winds tore off the shutters and part of the roof, and the site was surrounded by a lake of water.
Dorian had been hovering over Grand Bahama Island for 36 hours by early Monday evening and was expected to stay put until at least Tuesday morning as it pounded the island, the NHC bulletin said.
Dorian threatened to unleash a storm surge that could raise water levels by as much as 12 to 18 feet (4 to 5 meters) above normal on Grand Bahama Island, the NHC said.
Minnis urged residents to open their homes to those in need and asked the international community to donate to charities with a responsible record.
"This is the time for us as Bahamians to show our love, our care and our compassion for our fellow brothers and sisters," he said.
The hurricane, which was downgraded late Monday morning to Category 4 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, packed maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour (240 kph), the NHC said.
Dorian was expected to drift to the northwest late on Tuesday and stalk the coasts of Florida, South Carolina and Georgia, it said.
(Source: Reuters)
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