Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 4 september 2019

Humanitarian crisis unfolds in hurricane-stricken Bahamas

By RAMON ESPINOSA force winds extended up
DÁNICA COTO to 60 miles (95 kilometers)
MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN from its center.
Associated Press The Bahamas’ health minis-
FREEPORT, Bahamas (AP) ter said that Dorian devas-
— Practically parking over tated the health infrastruc-
the Bahamas for a day and ture on Grand Bahama
a half, Hurricane Dorian and that severe flooding
pounded away at the is- rendered the main hospital
lands Tuesday in a watery there unusable.
onslaught that devastat- Sands said the main hospi-
ed thousands of homes, tal in Marsh Harbor in the
trapped people in attics Abaco islands was intact
and crippled hospitals. At and sheltering 400 people
least five deaths were re- but in need of food, water,
ported, with the full extent medicine and surgical sup-
of the damage far from plies. He said crews were
clear. trying to airlift five to seven
The United Nations and the kidney failure patients from
International Red Cross be- Abaco who had not re-
gan mobilizing to deal with ceived dialysis since Friday.
the unfolding humanitar- Across the stricken islands,
ian crisis in the wake of the choppy brown floodwaters
most powerful hurricane on reached roofs and the tops
record ever to hit the Baha- of palm trees. Parliament
mas. member Iram Lewis said he
Dorian’s punishing winds In this Monday, Sept. 2, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard Station Clearwater, boats feared waters would keep
and torrential rain battered litter the area around marina in the Bahamas after they were tossed around by Hurricane Dorian. rising and stranded people
the islands of Abaco and Associated Press would lose contact with
Grand Bahama, which “We will confirm what da, Georgia and North Cross said some 62,000 will officials as their cellphone
have a combined popula- the real situation is on the and South Carolina were need clean drinking water. batteries died.
tion of about 70,000 and ground,” Health Minister warned to evacuate as The Red Cross authorized “It is scary,” he said, adding
are known for their mari- Duane Sands said. “We are Dorian closed in on the Sun- a half-million dollars for the that people were moving
nas, golf courses and all- hoping and praying that shine State on a projected first wave of disaster relief, from one shelter to another
inclusive resorts. The Grand the loss of life is limited.” track expected to take it Cochrane said. as floodwaters kept surg-
Bahama airport was under Tammy Mitchell of the Ba- up the Southeast coast. “What we are hearing ing. “We’re definitely in dire
6 feet (2 meters) of water. hamas’ National Emergen- While the threat of a direct lends credence to the fact straits.”To the south, the
Bahamian officials received cy Management Agency hit on Florida had all but that this has been a cata- Bahamas’ most populous
a “tremendous” number of told ZNS Bahamas radio vanished, the storm was ex- strophic storm and a cata- island, New Providence,
calls from people in flood- station that authorities had pected to pass dangerous- strophic impact,” he said. which is the site of the capi-
ed homes, and desperate documented every call ly close to South Carolina As of 11 a.m. EDT, Dorian’s tal, Nassau, and has over a
callers trying to find loved and were prioritizing them, — and perhaps strike North winds had dipped to 110 quarter-million people, suf-
ones left messages with lo- but that rescue crews were Carolina — on Thursday or mph (177 kph), making it fered little damage.
cal radio stations. forced to turn back in some Friday, according to the a Category 2 hurricane, Leaving one person dead
One station said it got re- cases because the wind National Hurricane Center. down from a terrifying Cat- in its wake in Puerto Rico,
ports of a 5-month-old was so fierce and the wa- In the Bahamas, Red Cross egory 5 when it struck. The Dorian hit the Bahamas
baby stranded on a roof ter so high. spokesman Matthew Co- storm was centered about on Sunday with sustained
and a woman with six “We understand what chrane said more than 45 miles (70 kilometers) winds of 185 mph (295
grandchildren who cut a everybody was going 13,000 houses, or about north of Freeport and 105 kph) and gusts up to 220
hole in a roof to escape through,” she said. “We 45% of the homes in Grand miles (170 kilometers) east mph (355 kph). It tied the
rising floodwaters. At least wanted to go out there ... Bahama and Abaco, were of Fort Pierce, Florida. record for the strongest
two storm shelters flooded. but that’s not a risk we’re believed to have been After standing still for nearly Atlantic storm ever to hit
The U.S. Coast Guard air- capable of taking. We severely damaged or de- a day, it was on the move land, matching the Labor
lifted at least 21 people in- don’t want people thinking stroyed. U.N. officials said again, but just barely, push- Day hurricane that struck
jured on Abaco. Rescuers we’ve forgotten them.” more than 60,000 people ing northwest at 2 mph (3 Florida Gulf Coast in 1935,
also used jet skis to reach Ahead of the storm, over on the hard-hit islands will kph), or about as fast as a before storms were given
some people. 2 million people in Flori- need food, and the Red person walks. Hurricane- names.q