© Josh Terrells
Debris from Hurricane Dorian is seen in Elbow Cay, which is just off Abaco in the Bahamas, Sept. 2, 2019.
Debris from Hurricane Dorian is seen in Elbow Cay, which is just off Abaco in the Bahamas, Sept. 2, 2019.
Hurricane Dorian's stall over the Bahamas has led to "unprecedented devastation" according to the country's prime minister, the destruction of more than 13,000 homes, according to the Red Cross, and at least five confirmed deaths.
On Monday, Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced that the death toll had risen to at least five, telling reporters, "We are in the midst of a historic tragedy in parts of the northern Bahamas." Minnis went on to say "the devastation is unprecedented" and added that the images of the aftermath "are heartbreaking." Many fear that the death toll will continue to rise in the coming days.
The Bahamas Press reported that there was a "growing wall" of residents frantically looking for word of loved ones who they could not contact. The paper also painted an apocalyptic portrait of the aftermath in Abaco after the island was pummeled by Dorian.
Reporters from The Bahamas Press described the devastation they witnessed in Abaco: "The place is a disaster, no business is operable and bodies are floating around Big Cat. The concern is nobody knows how many people died, and they feel when the water subsides some bodies will be washed out to sea."
"We have received catastrophic damage," Minister of Foreign Affairs and North Abaco MP Darren Henfield said Monday. "We have reports of casualties. We have reports of bodies being seen. We cannot confirm those reports until we go and confirm for ourselves."
Comment: According to the Guardian, Hurricane Dorian has caused more than 1,300 flights to be cancelled within, as well as into and out of, the US.
The flight tracking site FlightAware says the unusually high amount of cancellations on Monday were due mostly to the ferocious storm. At least another 1,000 cancellations are expected Tuesday, with at least half due to the closure of the Orlando International Airport, scheduled for 2 am. The site says a total of 50 to 100 flights canceled a day would be typical.
Hurricane Dorian remains stationary as it continues to pummel Grand Bahama Island.
The National Hurricane Center said Dorian is expected to move "dangerously close" to the Florida east coast late Monday through Wednesday evening and then move north to coastal Georgia and South Carolina on Wednesday night and Thursday.