Hurricane Dorian stalled over the Bahamas, whipping the structures with intense winds and dropping heavy rain for more than a day. It has diminished during that time from a category 5 to a category 3 hurricane, but the damage wreaked on the islands of the Bahamas has been severe.
There are five confirmed deaths, all on the northeastern Abaco islands. Many more are expected to be confirmed as floodwaters recede and rescue operations shift to recovery actions after the storm moves toward the Eastern seaboard of the United States.
The United Nations has pledged to aid in relief efforts for the island country.
In preparation for the storm, emergency supplies had been stockpiled in nearby nations such as Haiti, Barbados, Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. It is uncertain at this time whether those supplies will be sufficient, as the continued rains have caused potentially toxic overflow into the clean water sources on the Bahaman islands.
Local news sources have been attempting to help rescue workers with their efforts.
Many residents have been dealing with waters steadily rising through their homes, destroying almost everything they own before forcing them to break through their roofs and sit atop their homes for hours, trying to hold on while 125+ m.p.h. winds continuously buffet and rain slams into them.
The U.S. embassy in Nassau has been providing aid in the rescue operations both with their helicopters and by coordinating helicopter flights with U.S. Coast Guard who have moved into the area. The injured are being flown to distant medical facilities, as local hospitals are dealing with rising floodwaters.
