Hurricane submerges vast swathes of Bahamas
Race against time to rescue survivors of Dorian, which has brought ‘historic tragedy’ to the islands
RESCUE workers were scrambling to reach the northern Bahamas yesterday as Hurricane Dorian pounded the archipelago for another day, leaving a trail of “unprecedented” destruction.
At least five people have been killed in the area and more than 60,000 are expected to need drinking water in the coming days after the “catastrophic” damage. On Grand Bahama island and the Abaco islands, among the worst affected, more than 13,000 homes were severely damaged or destroyed – about 45 per cent of residences.
Gusts of up to 220mph earlier had ripped the roofs off houses while the torrential rain saw water sweeping through the streets, forcing some to seek shelter in their attics.
Satellite images suggested that vast swathes of the islands were still under water. As much as 35in of water was estimated to have been dumped on the Bahamas.
Reports of locals trapped in their homes with young children and radio stations being bombarded with distress calls about missing loved ones have begun to surface. “We are in the midst of a historic tragedy,” said Hubert Minnis, the Bahamas prime minister. “The devastation is extensive.”
Dorian, the second strongest hurricane ever recorded to have made landfall in the region, was downgraded to a category two hurricane yesterday, with winds dipping to around 110mph.
Forecasts of Dorian’s trajectory suggest that its centre will now not move on to the US mainland but instead track the coastline north before turning east.
However, experts warned that the hurricane’s course could change at any moment and said it would still cause life-changing storm surges and flooding to America’s eastern coast.
More than two million people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have been urged to flee. The hurricane was approaching Florida yesterday afternoon. Dorian had become practically stationary after hitting the Bahamas on Sunday – a rarity for big hurricanes – but yesterday was moving slowly northwest at around 2mph, the equivalent of walking pace.
Matthew Cochrane, a Red Cross spokesman, said: “What we are hearing lends credence to the fact that this has been a catastrophic storm and a catastrophic impact.”
A text message from Kendra Williams, who lives on Grand Bahama, offered a glimpse of the panic.
It read: “We are under water; we are up in the ceiling. Can someone please assist us or send some help. Please. Me and my six grandchildren and my son, we are in the ceiling.”
Yasmin Rigby, of Grand Bahama’s main city Freeport, said locals had been gripped by fear as winds tore off shutters and water begun to pour into homes.
“People who thought they were safe are now calling for help,” Ms Rigby told AFP. “My best friend’s husband is stuck in the roof of their house with 7ft [of ] water below.” One radio station said it had received more than 2,000 distress messages, including reports of a fivemonth-old stranded on a roof.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the fact that the Grand Bahama airport was under 6ft of water. The island’s main hospital was also rendered unusable due to flooding.
Britain has joined the rescue effort, with three humanitarian experts sent to the Bahamas.