Hurricane Dorian Has Completely Devastated The Bahamas
On Monday, Sept. 2, Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas in the Caribbean and completely devastated the island. Since, people have been taking to social media to share updates about the storm, but these photos of the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian will completely break your heart. Take a look, and consider helping out.
On Sept. 2, Hurricane Dorian hovered above the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm that ripped through homes, boat harbors, and businesses in the Abaco Islands. According to USA Today, the Bahamas experienced 160 mph winds from Dorian, which caused sands to sweep over roads and make transportation nearly impossible. This storm represents the second strongest Atlantic hurricane to hit the Bahamas in history. As a result, Dorian's arrival caused immense flooding in neighborhoods and along streets, displacing residents from their homes and leaving many stranded. As of Wednesday, Sept. 4, USA Today reports that at least seven deaths have been reported in the Bahamas as a result of Hurricane Dorian.
Hurricane Dorian is now reportedly heading towards the Carolina coast in the United States, leading President Donald Trump to declare an emergency in North Carolina. However, the storm has left its mark in the Bahamas. Rescue crews and organizations arrived in the Bahamas in an attempt to assist displaced residents and families. These photos of Hurricane Dorian's devastation are proof that the nation could use as much aid relief as it can receive.
Hubert Minnis, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, took to Twitter to share a photo of Abaco, stating that "parts of the island have been decimated" by Hurricane Dorian.
In Freeport, a boarded-up building was flooded up to the windows.
Handout photos from the U.S. Coast Guard — supporting rescue missions and humanitarian aid — showed aerial views of the destruction. In one neighborhood, buildings had been reduced to rubble, while cars lay on their sides. In a marina, boats lay tumbled in disarray on the ground.
In Freeport, a photograph of rescue volunteers showed the peril of moving through the flooded areas.
USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance also shared a video of Hurricane Dorian's impact via Twitter.
On Sept. 4, Neko Gibson, founder of BahamasEvac Services, spoke to CNN about evacuations underway in the Bahamas. However, according to Gibson, weather conditions and damaged roads are making rescue missions more difficult. "Everybody's trying to do the best that they can," Gibson told CNN. "Problem is the winds and weather that has been a hazard for traffic to get in and out of Abaco."
Hurricane Dorian's impact in the Bahamas has led many humanitarian organizations to reach out in efforts to assist the Caribbean following the devastation. On Tuesday, Sept. 3, USAID released a statement announcing that it plans to deploy a disaster assistance response team into the Bahamas. According to the statement, the organization will use its elite disaster response team, also known as DART, to coordinate with local authorities, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Embassy to assess damage and identify urgent aid. A part of the statement read,
USAID has already begun to mobilize assistance, including plastic sheeting, hygiene kits, water buckets, and chainsaws, and is working with the Bahamas Red Cross to provide essential relief supplies and assistance to the affected islands. USAID has pre-positioned emergency relief supplies-including plastic sheeting and hygiene kits-in Miami, Barbados, Dominica, and Haiti. The DART will conduct disaster assessments in the coming days to determine the hurricane's impact and to deliver assistance to those who need it most.
In addition, a Hurricane Dorian Relief in the Bahamas GoFundMe was created by Sacramento Kings player Buddy Hield, who is Bahamian, on Sept. 3. As of Wednesday, Sept. 4, the page has raised over $20,000 of a $1 million goal.
As Dorian continues its path into the United States, some might want to take time and see how we can help Bahama residents during this tragedy. A little can go a long way.
