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| Bahamas Relief Efforts Frustrated as Dorian Pulls Away | Bahamas Relief Efforts Frustrated as Dorian Pulls Away |
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| NASSAU, Bahamas — As Hurricane Dorian pulled away from the Bahamas, relief workers, medical personnel, pilots and others gathered at a private terminal of the Nassau airport on Wednesday amid boxes of supplies, anxiously awaiting permission from the government to fly to devastated areas and provide assistance. | |
| But with most of the runways on Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama — the islands most heavily pummeled by the storm — flooded or covered in sand, it was difficult to deliver help or even assess the damage wrought by the storm. In addition, the government has given priority to helicopter evacuations. | But with most of the runways on Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama — the islands most heavily pummeled by the storm — flooded or covered in sand, it was difficult to deliver help or even assess the damage wrought by the storm. In addition, the government has given priority to helicopter evacuations. |
| “It is frustrating,” said Wes Comfort, director of operations for Heart to Heart International, a Kansas-based group. “There are people who want to help and professionals who know how to help.” | “It is frustrating,” said Wes Comfort, director of operations for Heart to Heart International, a Kansas-based group. “There are people who want to help and professionals who know how to help.” |
| Dorian made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on Sunday, then lingered, pummeling the northern islands of the Bahamian archipelago for more than three days. At least seven people have died, including children, government officials said, adding that the toll is expected to rise. Now a Category 2 storm, Dorian is heading toward the Eastern Seaboard. | Dorian made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on Sunday, then lingered, pummeling the northern islands of the Bahamian archipelago for more than three days. At least seven people have died, including children, government officials said, adding that the toll is expected to rise. Now a Category 2 storm, Dorian is heading toward the Eastern Seaboard. |
| Despite the limited access to the islands, pilots have conducted flyovers revealing scenes of absolute devastation. Entire neighborhoods were reduced to unrecognizable fields of rubble, houses were crushed into splinters and boats were tossed into heaps like toys. | Despite the limited access to the islands, pilots have conducted flyovers revealing scenes of absolute devastation. Entire neighborhoods were reduced to unrecognizable fields of rubble, houses were crushed into splinters and boats were tossed into heaps like toys. |
| The Bahamian prime minister, Hubert Minnis, was able to go on a reconnaissance mission over Abaco on Tuesday afternoon, though storm conditions still prevented flying over Grand Bahama, the larger island. | The Bahamian prime minister, Hubert Minnis, was able to go on a reconnaissance mission over Abaco on Tuesday afternoon, though storm conditions still prevented flying over Grand Bahama, the larger island. |
| “People need mostly food, security and shelter,” Mr. Minnis said in brief comments to reporters when he returned. | “People need mostly food, security and shelter,” Mr. Minnis said in brief comments to reporters when he returned. |
| Videos taken by helicopters flying over the islands showed desperate residents stranded on rooftops amid swirling currents, roads turned to rivers, and basic infrastructure — including shelters, hospitals and public buildings — under water. | Videos taken by helicopters flying over the islands showed desperate residents stranded on rooftops amid swirling currents, roads turned to rivers, and basic infrastructure — including shelters, hospitals and public buildings — under water. |
| “It’s not just the power and ferocity of the storm, it’s also the length of time it spent over Abaco and Grand Bahama,” said Marvin Dames, the minister of national security for the Bahamas. “That’s a disastrous outcome.” | “It’s not just the power and ferocity of the storm, it’s also the length of time it spent over Abaco and Grand Bahama,” said Marvin Dames, the minister of national security for the Bahamas. “That’s a disastrous outcome.” |
| [How to help the survivors of Hurricane Dorian.] | [How to help the survivors of Hurricane Dorian.] |
| The deputy commander for the United States Coast Guard’s Altantic area, Rear Adm. Todd Sokalzuk, said on Tuesday they had brought seven helicopters into the central Bahamas. The Coast Guard, together with Customs and Border Patrol, were able to airlift 61 people from the Bahamas over two days, the United States Embassy in Nassau said on Twitter Wednesday. | The deputy commander for the United States Coast Guard’s Altantic area, Rear Adm. Todd Sokalzuk, said on Tuesday they had brought seven helicopters into the central Bahamas. The Coast Guard, together with Customs and Border Patrol, were able to airlift 61 people from the Bahamas over two days, the United States Embassy in Nassau said on Twitter Wednesday. |
| The prime minister said that roughly 60 percent of homes in Marsh Harbour were badly damaged. The town “looks like a lake” and the roads are flooded, he said. | The prime minister said that roughly 60 percent of homes in Marsh Harbour were badly damaged. The town “looks like a lake” and the roads are flooded, he said. |
| Cindy Russell, a resident of Marsh Harbour whose home was destroyed, said she had no words to describe what Dorian left in its wake. | Cindy Russell, a resident of Marsh Harbour whose home was destroyed, said she had no words to describe what Dorian left in its wake. |
| “It’s like we just need to be rescued and put on another island to start over again,” she said. “Complete devastation.” | “It’s like we just need to be rescued and put on another island to start over again,” she said. “Complete devastation.” |
| Rebecca Roberts, who lives in Nassau but grew up on Green Turtle Cay, which is part of the Abaco Islands, said her family there suffered heavy losses. The extended family had 12 buildings among them, between businesses and homes. Of the four they had been able to check up on, three were completely demolished. | Rebecca Roberts, who lives in Nassau but grew up on Green Turtle Cay, which is part of the Abaco Islands, said her family there suffered heavy losses. The extended family had 12 buildings among them, between businesses and homes. Of the four they had been able to check up on, three were completely demolished. |
| The one building that stood, which was made of cement, was housing the entire family, she said. | The one building that stood, which was made of cement, was housing the entire family, she said. |
| “My aunt was out in the road picking up pieces from her house,” she said. | “My aunt was out in the road picking up pieces from her house,” she said. |
| Though the weakened hurricane is pushing its way toward Florida, it did not clear the islands until early Wednesday. | Though the weakened hurricane is pushing its way toward Florida, it did not clear the islands until early Wednesday. |
| “Storm surge is the number one killer in a tropical storm,” said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, speaking of the rising sea level that results from the wind and pressure changes brought on by a storm. | “Storm surge is the number one killer in a tropical storm,” said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, speaking of the rising sea level that results from the wind and pressure changes brought on by a storm. |
| In Freeport, the largest city on Grand Bahama, Sarah Kirkby watched helplessly as a massive tidal flood poured in and inundated her house. | In Freeport, the largest city on Grand Bahama, Sarah Kirkby watched helplessly as a massive tidal flood poured in and inundated her house. |
| “It was absolutely terrifying,” she said. “I have never seen water come in like that. You don’t realize the power until you’re in it.” | “It was absolutely terrifying,” she said. “I have never seen water come in like that. You don’t realize the power until you’re in it.” |
| Some local rescue efforts began on Tuesday, she said, as the water began to recede, with neighbors manning Jet Skis to rescue people trapped on their roofs — but it was unclear where they might go, since many shelters were also flooded or damaged by the storm. | Some local rescue efforts began on Tuesday, she said, as the water began to recede, with neighbors manning Jet Skis to rescue people trapped on their roofs — but it was unclear where they might go, since many shelters were also flooded or damaged by the storm. |
| All of the rescues on Abaco were conducted by the Coast Guard, which also provided the prime minister and Bahamas emergency management officials with their first flyover to assess the damages. But with conditions on Grand Bahama too poor for even military helicopters, the Coast Guard attempted no rescues there. | All of the rescues on Abaco were conducted by the Coast Guard, which also provided the prime minister and Bahamas emergency management officials with their first flyover to assess the damages. But with conditions on Grand Bahama too poor for even military helicopters, the Coast Guard attempted no rescues there. |
| Rear Adm. Todd Sokalzuk said officials still had a “large volume” of calls for help from people stranded on their rooftops. | Rear Adm. Todd Sokalzuk said officials still had a “large volume” of calls for help from people stranded on their rooftops. |
| [Live updates as the storm turns toward the southeast coast of the United States.] | [Live updates as the storm turns toward the southeast coast of the United States.] |
| Responders were trying to take advantage of a window of opportunity after the eye passed over Grand Bahama to try to rescue people, but many police cruisers and other emergency vehicles were under water. | Responders were trying to take advantage of a window of opportunity after the eye passed over Grand Bahama to try to rescue people, but many police cruisers and other emergency vehicles were under water. |
| “Some of the bigger vehicles, dump trucks and fire engines, are trying to get through the water,” Kevin D. Harris, director general of the Bahamas Information Service, said. “Grand Bahama is flat, and you can imagine the devastation we are going to incur.” | “Some of the bigger vehicles, dump trucks and fire engines, are trying to get through the water,” Kevin D. Harris, director general of the Bahamas Information Service, said. “Grand Bahama is flat, and you can imagine the devastation we are going to incur.” |
| There was so much water that government offices, including the government radio station, had to leave their lower floors. | There was so much water that government offices, including the government radio station, had to leave their lower floors. |
| The islands in the northwestern Bahamas that were hit the hardest — the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama — are 30 feet at their highest point, and the storm surge reached up to 23 feet, not counting the waves, said Joel Cline, the Tropical Program Coordinator at NOAA. | The islands in the northwestern Bahamas that were hit the hardest — the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama — are 30 feet at their highest point, and the storm surge reached up to 23 feet, not counting the waves, said Joel Cline, the Tropical Program Coordinator at NOAA. |
| Photographs from flights over Abaco show trees sheared of limbs and leaves and saltwater ponds covering swaths of land where homes once stood. Some houses had their roofs ripped clean off, while others were reduced to piles of debris mired in water. All around, a rough ocean lapped at the low-lying islands. | Photographs from flights over Abaco show trees sheared of limbs and leaves and saltwater ponds covering swaths of land where homes once stood. Some houses had their roofs ripped clean off, while others were reduced to piles of debris mired in water. All around, a rough ocean lapped at the low-lying islands. |
| The Grand Lucayan Resort and Casino on Grand Bahama had opened its doors to those who needed shelter, said Michael Scott, who is the chairman of the government-owned hotel. | The Grand Lucayan Resort and Casino on Grand Bahama had opened its doors to those who needed shelter, said Michael Scott, who is the chairman of the government-owned hotel. |
| “It’s a catastrophic and dystopian mess,” he said on Tuesday, estimating that more than 400 people were now being cared for at the hotel. “Other shelters which have been compromised are having their people decanted into our facility.” | “It’s a catastrophic and dystopian mess,” he said on Tuesday, estimating that more than 400 people were now being cared for at the hotel. “Other shelters which have been compromised are having their people decanted into our facility.” |