Newspress

Deadly Dorian Monster hurricane blamed for 5 deaths in The Bahamas September 3

NASSAU, The Bahamas (CMC) - The Bahamas Government yesterday confirmed five people had been killed in the Abacos as the virtually standstill, but weakening, Hurricane Dorian continued to pound The Bahamas.
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis told a news conference that the Royal Bahamas Police Force "has confirmed that there are five deaths in Abaco", adding that teams would travel to Abaco as soon as possible for "full and proper assessments and identification".
He did not provide a breakdown of those killed, but earlier reports said that among the casualties was a nine-year-old boy, who drowned. His sister is reported still missing.
Dorian made landfall as a Category Five storm on Sunday, packing blistering winds of 185 miles per hour.
Minnis said the authorities were still coming to grips with the situation in "the midst of a historic tragedy".
But he was also critical of people who had engaged in reproducing "fake news" and videos surrounding the damage caused by the hurricane, described as one of the most powerful storms to hit The Bahamas since records began.
Minnis told reporters that he wanted only the "official channels" to be used in providing information on the storm here, saying "we need to be sensitive in reporting such information and will do so as soon as we have reliable information

Dorian claims first life in Bahamas, US evacuates coast September 2

Port Saint Lucie (United States) - Monster storm Dorian stalked across the Bahamas Monday as surging seawaters and ferocious winds sowed chaos in low-lying island communities, claiming at least one life and spurring mass evacuations on the US east coast.
Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said the devastation was "unprecedented" in the Abaco Islands, which received the full brunt of Dorian as it came ashore Sunday as the most powerful storm ever to hit the archipelago.
"Our focus right now is rescue, recovery and prayer," Minnis said on Twitter.
The government confirmed at least one fatality in the Abacos, but the storm's toll was still untallied more than 24 hours after it made landfall as a Category 5 packing blistering winds of 290 kph (185 mph).
With Dorian still pummeling Grand Bahama further to the west of the island chain, the Bahamas tourism and aviation ministry announced the start of rescue operations "in parts where it is safe."
"We have reports of casualties, we have reports of bodies being seen. We cannot confirm those reports until we go out and look for ourselves," said Foreign Minister Darren Henfield, who represents North Abaco in the Bahamian parliament.
Abaco resident Ramond A. King captured scenes of desolation in footage provided to AFP, showing flooded streets strewn with trees and downed power lines and at least one home washed clearly away.
"Look at this," he can be heard saying. "We need help, everything down. Everything down. Look at my roof off, my house. I still got life. Thank God for life. I can rebuild."
"The tornado came from around this side... My neighbor used to live there. His house ain't even there."
Dorian weakened slightly Monday to a still-devastating Category 4 storm, punishing Grand Bahama with "life-threatening storm surge and catastrophic winds," the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in its 1800 GMT bulletin.

It was grinding its way westward at a speed of one mile per hour (2 kph), whipping the Caribbean island with sustained winds of 240 kph (150 mph).
Fear gripped residents of Freeport, as winds tore off shutters and water began coming into homes, said Yasmin Rigby, reached by text in the Grand Bahama island's main city.
"People who thought they were safe are now calling for help," Rigby said. "My best friend's husband is stuck in the roof of their house with 7 ft water below."
Initial Red Cross estimates were that 13,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed by Dorian, officials in Geneva said.
- 'Get out NOW' -

Video posted on the website of the Bahamian newspaper Tribune 242 showed water up to the roofs of wooden houses in what appeared to be a coastal town. Capsized boats floated in muddy brown water dotted with wooden boards, tree branches and other debris.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center forecast an 18 to 23 foot storm surge above tide levels in parts of Grand Bahama, accompanied by large and destructive waves.
Water levels in the Abacos, swamped by a similar surge Sunday, were expected to slowly subside.
"On this track, the core of extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian will continue to pound Grand Bahama Island through much of today and tonight," the NHC said.
"The hurricane will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast late tonight through Wednesday evening, and then move dangerously close to the Georgia and South Carolina coasts on Wednesday night and Thursday."
All three eastern US states have ordered coastal residents to evacuate, affecting close to a million people. Neighboring North Carolina has also declared a state of emergency.
"A slight wobble West would bring this Cat 5 storm on shore with devastating consequences," said Florida Governor Rick Scott on Twitter.
"If you're in an evacuation zone, get out NOW. We can rebuild your home. We can't rebuild your life."
- 'Tear everything up' -
In southern Florida's Port Saint Lucie -- a low-income area where mobile home parks stood all-but emptied of their residents -- Dan Peatle, 78, fled his retirement community to take shelter in a hotel.
"It makes me sick. I don't like it," he told AFP as he stepped outside for air before the storm closes in.
"I've been through seven or eight of them since I've been in Florida, since '73. And, they're all the same, you know. Tear everything up, put it back together.
"But, I chose to live here so I might as well live with it, you know."

CARICOM reacts as -Dorian' pounds Bahamas 02 September

Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of Saint Lucia was among the regional leaders who expressed concern and support to The Bahamas, devastated by category five hurricane Dorian which struck on Sunday 1 September. It left extensive damage across the islands of Abaco and is currently pounding Grand Bahama.
Prime Minister Chastanet, whose island was spared the wrath of Dorian when it made its passage through the Lesser Antilles early last week, wrote on his Facebook page "our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters in the Bahamas and Florida."

Earlier Sunday 1 September, The Bahamas' Prime Minister The Honourable Dr. Hubert Minnis pleaded with residents on the island of Grand Bahama to leave high risk zones immediately as the hurricane made landfall.
"Grand Bahama, those individuals in the West End area, this is your last warning. We have made all necessary arrangements, at least 13 shelters available. "May God bless us all," said Minnis, who said that residents of the Abacos who refused voluntary evacuation are in for the "long haul."
"This is probably the most saddened and worst day of my life to address the Bahamian people. I just want to say as a physician, I've been trained to withstand many things but never anything like this. We are facing a hurricane, one that we've never seen in the history of the Bahamas. There will be gusts in excess of 200 mph. We have some of the best standards of home-building within this region.
"Our homes are built to withstand at least 150mph so this will put us to the test that we have never confronted before. The extreme surge of about 20ft... that's higher than the average roof of our homes here in the Bahamas," he added. In its latest bulleting, the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that the eye of -catastrophic" Hurricane Dorian was over Abacos Islands and "heading with all its fury towards Grand Bahama.

Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit on Sunday reiterated a call for developed countries to do more to deal with the impact of climate change as Caribbean Community (CARICOM) governments were expressing their support for the Bahamas.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the government and people of The Bahamas in this time of profound anxiety. I urge all the residents to take heed of the advice of the authorities. This is not a hurricane to take chances with. We shall stand in total solidarity with our dear brothers and sisters should they need our assistance," Skerrit said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
"Again, I reiterate the call for the countries of the developed world to take action in relation to climate change. Why can't the Paris Accord be implemented?," he added.
Dominica is recovering from the pounding it took from a similar Category 5 hurricane when Maria lashed the island in September 2017, killing at least 30 people and leaving millions of US dollars in damages.
Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who also took to social media, said that he had been in contact with his Bahamian counterpart, Dr. Hubert Minnis, "and assured him of our prayers and support. "?We stand with the people of the Bahamas in this time of great threat and pledge our support in their time of recovery,' Holness added.

It has maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour (mph) and is moving towards the west near seven mph. "A slower westward motion should continue for the next day or two, followed by a gradual turn toward the northwest. On this track, the core of extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian will continue to pound Great Abaco today and the move near or over Grand Bahama Island tonight and Monday. The hurricane should move closer to the Florida east coast late Monday through Tuesday night," the NHC said.

It said Dorian is an extremely "dangerous Category 5 hurricane" and that some fluctuations in intensity are likely. "Dorian is expected to remain a catastrophic hurricane during the next few days," the NHC said, adding that life-threatening storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 18 to 23 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds on the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama Island.

"The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide," the NHC added.
The Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has sent a team to the Bahamas to coordinate the Regional Response Mechanism (RRM). "CDEMA has maintained a high level of readiness in support of all participating states threatened by Hurricane Dorian. We took a decision to pre-deploy in this instance in view of the threat and after consultation with the Bahamas.
"Being on the ground will allow the regional support to be mobilized immediately after the all clear. CDEMA deeply appreciates the support of the government of the United Kingdom to the Regional Response Mechanism." said CDEMA executive director, Ronald Jackson.

CDEMA said it had deployed two rapid needs assessment teams including representatives of the CDEMA participating states of Antigua and Barbuda, the Turks and Caicos Islands as well as the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Port Managers Association of the Caribbean (PMAC), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
"This deployment is in direct response to a request from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The rapid needs assessment teams are expected to support assessments on the family islands most impacted by Dorian in the aftermath of the event. The teams will support the government of the Bahamas in rapidly assessing the damage from the hurricane and in prioritizing needs,' CDEMA said.

Casualties reported on the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas 02 September

Numerous casualties have been reported on the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian.
"From all accounts, we have received catastrophic damage" to Abaco, according to Darren Henfield, Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs. "We have reports of casualties. We have reports of bodies being seen. We cannot confirm those reports until we go out and see for ourselves."
First responders are traveling to Abaco, where citizens have been told to remain indoors due to downed lamp posts, trees and power lines.
"It is very dangerous to be outdoors if you don't have to be outdoors," Henfield said. "We're holding strong... We're just asking you to continue to pray for us."

Hurricane Dorian: Bahamas slammed by category five storm 01 September

Hurricane Dorian has made landfall in the north-west Bahamas as a powerful category five storm with sustained winds of up to 180mph (285km/h).
The "extremely dangerous" storm is the strongest hurricane on modern record in the area, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) says.
Grand Bahama residents have been evacuating from its predicted path.
A storm surge could be life-threatening and as high as 23ft (7m) in places, officials warn.
At 11:00 local time (15:00 GMT) the NHC reported "catastrophic conditions" in the Abaco islands in the northern Bahamas.
The storm made landfall at 12:40 at Elbow Cay, the NHC said.
Dorian, moving westward at 7mph (11km/h), is expected to continue to move over Great Abaco Island and near, or over, Grand Bahama Island later on Sunday into Monday.
Authorities closed some airports in the outlying islands, but the main international airport remains open on Sunday.

After hitting the Bahamas, it should move closer to the Florida east coast late on Monday through Tuesday night local time.
US President Donald Trump said he was monitoring Dorian. He cancelled a planned trip to Poland, sending Vice-President Mike Pence in his place.
Hurricanes, which vary in strength from category one to five on the Saffir-Simpson scale, tend to get stronger as they move over warm waters like those off the coast of Florida.

How do hurricanes form?

Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones: What's the difference?
Are you in the affected region? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Dorian has also grown larger in size, with hurricane-force winds currently extending 45 miles (75km) from the storm's centre.

How is the Bahamas preparing?

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced an evacuation order for parts of Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands, both in the north of the archipelago. All tourists were asked to leave the islands.
Media captionHurricane Dorian approaches the Bahamas
At a news conference, Mr Minnis begged residents to head for the main island to escape the "devastating, dangerous storm".

"I want you to remember: homes, houses, structures can be replaced. Lives cannot be replaced," he said, adding that 73,000 people and 21,000 homes were in danger.
How destructive are category five hurricanes?
With sustained wind speeds of at least 157mph they are relatively rare, although four other storms reached this level in the last three years.

Michael made landfall in Florida last year, causing 59 deaths and about $25bn (£20bn) in damage. It was the strongest storm to make landfall in the US in 26 years and only the fourth hurricane of this category to have hit the country
Maria, in 2017, devastated the island of Dominica, where it was responsible for 31 deaths, before causing widespread destruction in Puerto Rico as a category four hurricane. A study said nearly 3,000 people had died there as a result

Irma, also in 2017, made seven landfalls, four of which were category five, across the northern Caribbean Islands, before making landfall in the Florida Keys as a category four storm. It was one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes on record and caused 47 deaths in total
Matthew, in 2016, was a category five storm that later made landfalls in Haiti, Cuba and Grand Bahama Island as a major hurricane. It was the deadliest hurricane in more than a decade, with 585 deaths, more than 500 of them in Haiti alone