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Hurricane Dorian Batters Bahamas as ‘Catastrophic’ Storm Hurricane Dorian Batters Bahamas as ‘Catastrophic’ Storm
(about 3 hours later)
Hurricane Dorian slammed into the Bahamas around midday Sunday with wind gusts up to 220 m.p.h., the strongest on record to hit the northwestern archipelago, leaving residents scrambling to find shelter as they braced for rising waters and torrential rains. Hurricane Dorian slammed into the Bahamas around midday Sunday with wind gusts up to 220 miles per hour, the strongest on record to hit the northwestern archipelago, leaving residents scrambling to find shelter as they braced for rising waters and torrential rains.
The storm strengthened to a Category 5 on Sunday before it made landfall. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center called it “catastrophic” and warned that its “extreme winds and storm surge will continue for several hours.”The storm strengthened to a Category 5 on Sunday before it made landfall. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center called it “catastrophic” and warned that its “extreme winds and storm surge will continue for several hours.”
[Follow live updates on Hurricane Dorian here.][Follow live updates on Hurricane Dorian here.]
This is a region that prides itself on withstanding powerful storms, but Dorian brings greater dangers than most. The storm’s slow pace and the low-lying islands’ vulnerability to flooding added to the concerns.This is a region that prides itself on withstanding powerful storms, but Dorian brings greater dangers than most. The storm’s slow pace and the low-lying islands’ vulnerability to flooding added to the concerns.
“A prolonged period of life-threatening storm surge, devastating hurricane-force winds and heavy rains are capable of producing life-threatening flash floods,” the center said. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, who had warned that 73,000 residents and 21,000 homes could be affected, urged residents of the Grand Bahama Island on Sunday to use the few hours before the storm hits to move to safer ground in the main city of Freeport. On the Abaco Islands, flooding had already begun in the main city of Marsh Harbour.
The core of the hurricane was expected to move slowly — at 7 miles per hour — over the Abaco Islands and toward the Great Bahama Island. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said on Saturday that 73,000 residents and 21,000 homes would be affected. “As a physician, I have been trained to withstand many things — but never anything like this,” Dr. Minnis said during a news conference. “This is a deadly storm and a monster storm.”
The storm has grown larger with winds extending up to 45 miles from the center. Meteorologists also warned of a storm surge that would raise water levels as much as 18 to 25 feet above normal and deliver more than two feet of rainfall in some areas. As it approached the Bahamas, the storm grew larger, with winds extending up to 45 miles from the center. Its core was expected to move slowly — at seven m.p.h. — over the Abaco Islands and toward the Great Bahama Island on Sunday, bringing with it a storm surge that would raise water levels as much as 18 to 25 feet above normal and deliver more than two feet of rainfall in some areas.
“We will pray and hope for the best but plan for the worst,” Michael Pintard, the Bahamian minister of agriculture, said in a text message on Saturday evening. The hurricane center said residents could face “a prolonged period of life-threatening storm surge, devastating hurricane-force winds, and heavy rains are capable of producing life-threatening flash floods.”
Residents hunkered down in schools, churches and other emergency shelters, but there was concern that some would try to brave the storm in their homes.Residents hunkered down in schools, churches and other emergency shelters, but there was concern that some would try to brave the storm in their homes.
Frankie Fleuridor, an activist who works with the Haitian community in the town of Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco was worried that not everybody would be able to leave. Dr. Minnis had ominous words for those who had not sought shelter.
“I hope this is not the last time they will hear my voice,” he said. “And may God be with them.”
In Abaco Island, where surging waters were gushing through the streets, he warned, “They are now in for the long haul.”
Frankie Fleuridor, an activist who works with the Haitian community in Marsh Harbour, was worried that not everybody would be able to leave.
“Some people are saying that they’re not going to go because they have nowhere to go,” he said on Saturday. “It’s tough for people in the shantytowns,” he said, because their plywood houses are not built to withstand hurricane-force winds and are vulnerable to flooding.“Some people are saying that they’re not going to go because they have nowhere to go,” he said on Saturday. “It’s tough for people in the shantytowns,” he said, because their plywood houses are not built to withstand hurricane-force winds and are vulnerable to flooding.
He said that he had rented hotel rooms for the most vulnerable, but could not afford to do more.He said that he had rented hotel rooms for the most vulnerable, but could not afford to do more.
“I’m maxed out,” he said.“I’m maxed out,” he said.
The prime minister warned residents of the most vulnerable regions on Friday to move to higher ground, but The Nassau Guardian reported on Saturday that some residents on Sweeting Cay, a fishing village on the eastern side of Grand Bahama Island, were stranded and calling for help. Shelters in Abaco are full, said Louby Georges, the director of international affairs for Human Rights Bahamas. Many of Marsh Harbour’s poorer residents had sought refuge in churches, but those churches were not on the list of government shelters to receive food and water, so Mr. Georges was worried that they would run out of supplies.
Mr. Pintard, the agriculture minister, crisscrossed Grand Bahama Island on Saturday in a last-minute effort to help to residents. Many homes are still damaged from Hurricane Matthew, which hit the island two years ago. He brought a team of workers to nail plywood on roofs, windows and doors. “My guy at St. Francis Church said there is no drinking water,” Mr. Georges said in a telephone interview from Nassau, the Bahamian capital. “There are no trained emergency personnel with them.”
Residents in Abaco Island were growing desperate as the storm bore down on them, he said.
“People are sending voice notes, people are crying,” he said. “You can hear people hollering in the background.”
Michael Pintard, the Bahamian minister of agriculture, crisscrossed Grand Bahama Island on Saturday in a last-minute effort to help residents. Many homes are still damaged from Hurricane Matthew, which hit the island three years ago. He brought a team of workers to nail plywood on roofs, windows and doors.
He said he was concerned that many of the damaged homes would face “tremendous rain downpour and hurricane-force winds,” and that there was a shortage of both labor and plywood to prepare.He said he was concerned that many of the damaged homes would face “tremendous rain downpour and hurricane-force winds,” and that there was a shortage of both labor and plywood to prepare.
Thousands of people were at risk of losing their homes — which is their “life’s investment,” he said, adding that “catastrophic damage” would close businesses and eliminate jobs, “which we are ill prepared for.”Thousands of people were at risk of losing their homes — which is their “life’s investment,” he said, adding that “catastrophic damage” would close businesses and eliminate jobs, “which we are ill prepared for.”
Tourism is a mainstay of the Bahamas’ economy, but the region in the direct path of the storm is not the center of the industry. Many hotels on Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands were already closed for the low season. Tourism is a mainstay of the Bahamian economy, but the region in the direct path of the storm is not the center of the industry. Many hotels on Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands were already closed for the low season.
Among those open was Abaco Beach Resort in Marsh Harbour. Most tourists had left, but a few were planning to brave it along with the news crews, insurance executives, business travelers and some local residents who had booked rooms.Among those open was Abaco Beach Resort in Marsh Harbour. Most tourists had left, but a few were planning to brave it along with the news crews, insurance executives, business travelers and some local residents who had booked rooms.
“It’s emergency business, not business as usual,” said Rick Lohr, the hotel’s general manager. He said the hotel had a generator and ample food and water supplies, but he was cautious nonetheless.“It’s emergency business, not business as usual,” said Rick Lohr, the hotel’s general manager. He said the hotel had a generator and ample food and water supplies, but he was cautious nonetheless.
“A lot of people have generators and plans for this because we’re very susceptible to storms, but this is a big one,” he said. “You never take them for granted,” he added.“A lot of people have generators and plans for this because we’re very susceptible to storms, but this is a big one,” he said. “You never take them for granted,” he added.
“It’s moving so slowly, you don’t know where it’s going to go,” he added. “It can create a lot of damage.”“It’s moving so slowly, you don’t know where it’s going to go,” he added. “It can create a lot of damage.”
The Bahamas Meteorology Department said it expected the eye of the storm to pass over the Abaco Islands on Sunday afternoon and move over Grand Bahama overnight. The Bahamas Department of Meteorology said it expected the eye of the storm to pass over the Abaco Islands on Sunday afternoon and move over Grand Bahama overnight.
As the storm approached North Abaco, water began to break over the sea wall at Cooper’s Town, according to video shared by residents and posted on the Twitter feed of The Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas. The Nassau Guardian reported that many residents of Great Guana Cay, one of the easternmost Abaco islands, had refused to evacuate. The Bahamas is as well prepared as it can be to face Hurricane Dorian, having updated its building codes in the early 2000s with some of the strictest standards in the region, said Aris Papadopoulos, an expert in hurricane resilience at Florida International University’s Extreme Events Institute.
Troy Albury, a resident of Great Guana Cay, told the newspaper that about 150 people were still on the island. “This is a very strong storm, very powerful and damaging,” he continued. “But I think the Bahamas, of all the Caribbean islands that I know, is probably in a better if not the best position that you could have.”
“Our house is built solid,” he said. “It’s more than 15 feet above sea level. My house isn’t going anywhere. We’ve been through four storms.” In 2003, Mr. Papadopoulos said, the Bahamian government revamped their building codes, adopting standards that matched, if not improved on, those codified by some governments in hurricane-prone South Florida.
The Bahamian regulations now require that buildings be constructed to withstand up to 180 m.p.h. winds, an extremely high resilience level, said Mr. Papadopoulos, founder of Resilience Action Fund, a nonprofit that promotes greater resilience to natural disasters in the built environment.
The Bahamians have also been building their first floors 12 feet above expected flood levels, he added, and the high standards have been accompanied by strong code enforcement.
“They take the topic of hazards very seriously,” he said.