Almost stationary Dorian continues to slam Bahamas

NASSAU (CMC) — An almost stationary Hurricane Dorian continues to have a devastating impact on Grand Bahamas as it inches its way from the Bahamas on Monday.

The Category 5 storm, packing sustained winds of 165 miles per hour (mph) was now 40 miles east of Freeport, Grand Bahama and weather officials warned residents to remain away from coastal areas as sea swells could also cause damage and death.

“Dorian has not moved … which is not good,” said Mike Stubbs of the Bahamas Meteorology Office.

He told television viewers that while the storm is expected to continue causing damage in the areas where it has made landfall, “flooding is the order of the day” for other areas.

There has been an unconfirmed report of at least one death, a 9-year-old is reported to have drowned — but there has been no official confirmation of that report.

The government has discontinued the hurricane warning for New Providence and Eleuthera, and the hurricane watch for Andros Island, in the north-western Bahamas.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that Dorian is moving west at one mph and a slow westward to west-north-westward motion is forecast during the next day or so, followed by a gradual turn toward the northwest and north today (Monday) and tonight.  The hurricane will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast tonight through Wednesday evening,” NHC said.

“Dorian is a category 5 hurricane … and although gradual weakening is forecast, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next couple of days,” it warned.

Videos posted on social media showed the damaging effect of the storm as houses were without roofs, cars overturned and widespread flooding as trees and branches bend to the force of the winds.

“Why isn’t it moving. I don’t get it. Some force controlling the hurricane,” one person wrote on Facebook, while another said, “It’s absolutely not normal”.

The NHC warned that a brief tornado is possible this afternoon into tonight along the immediate coast of east-central Florida.

Meanwhile, The Bahamas’ Foreign Affairs Minister, Darren Henfield, on Monday, described the damage caused by the hurricane Dorian on the Abacos “as tremendous … the kind of which we have never seen”.

Henfield, who is the Member of Parliament for North Abaco, said in a message aired on ZNS News that residents of the area “are coming out of the last of the storm at the moment.

“We have severe damage, compromise to buildings and homes. We are holding strong. We have no real communication right now because all of the networks are down,” he said, adding, “We are moving about right now, we are basically in search and recover mode.

“We received catastrophic damage here and in Abaco. We have not heard from the Cays as yet. On the mainland, we can see tremendous damage, the kind of which we have never seen before. Continue to pray for us, we are holding strong.”

The foreign minister said “multiple persons” were holed up at the government complex “and there are still some in shelters, some still remain at homes.

“We are okay, we are going to be okay, just continue to pray for us,” he said in his message which lasted just over one minute.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that Dorian is moving west at one mph and a slow westward to west-north-westward motion is forecast during the next day or so, followed by a gradual turn toward the northwest and north today and tonight.  The hurricane will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast tonight through Wednesday evening,” NHC said.

“Dorian is a category 5 hurricane … and although gradual weakening is forecast, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next couple of days,” it warned.

Minister of State for Grand Bahama, James Kwasi Malik Thompson, said Monday that Freeport was feeling the brunt of the hurricane.

“The eye of the storm is now over Freetown … which means that Freeport is really receiving the brunt of the front of the eye wall,” as he appealed to residents to continue to take all precautions to ensure their safety.

“We are, unfortunately, receiving many, many calls from residents who are completely flooded out in their houses,” he said, adding that it was virtually impossible for rescue teams to venture out into the open to assist.

“We made some attempts to try and rescue some folks over the bridge but the unfortunate part about this is because of the 150 mile per hour winds, they were unable to move to get into that area. So we do have to wait, unfortunately,” Thompson said.

“We are going to be in this for the long haul. I am told that the storm is pretty much stationary now. It is going to be here for another 10 to 12 hours and we are going to be bombarded with this (winds). So we need residents to hunker down. We know it is a very, very challenging and difficult time, but we need you to hunker down,” he added.

The Category 5 storm, packing sustained winds of 165 miles per hour (mph) was now 40 miles east of Freeport, Grand Bahamas and weather officials warned residents to remain away from coastal areas as sea swells could also cause damage and death.

“Dorian has not moved … which is not good,” said Mike Stubbs of the Bahamas Meteorology Office.

He told television viewers that while the storm is expected to continue causing damage in the areas where it has made landfall, “flooding is the order of the day” for other areas.

There has been unconfirmed report of at least one death, a 9-year-old reported to have drowned — but there have been no official confirmation of that report.

The government has discontinued the hurricane warning for New Providence and Eleuthera, and the hurricane watch for Andros Island, in the northwestern Bahamas.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that Dorian is moving west at one mph and a slow westward to west-northwestward motion is forecast during the next day or so, followed by a gradual turn toward the northwest and north today (Monday) and tonight.  The hurricane will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast tonight through Wednesday evening,” NHC said.

“Dorian is a category 5 hurricane … and although gradual weakening is forecast, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next couple of days,” it warned.

Videos posted on social media showed the damaging effect of the storm as house were without roofs, cars overturned and widespread flooding as trees and branches bend to the force of the winds.

“Why isn’t it moving. I don’t get it. Some force controlling the hurricane,” one person wrote on Facebook, while another said, “It’s absolutely not normal”.

The NHC warned that a brief tornado is possible this afternoon into tonight along the immediate coast of east-central Florida.

Meanwhile, The Bahamas’ Foreign Affairs Minister, Darren Henfield, Monday described the damage caused by the hurricane Dorian on the Abacos “as tremendous … the kind of which we have never seen”.

Henfield, who is the Member of Parliament for North Abaco, said in a message aired on ZNS News that residents of the area “are coming out of the last of the storm at the moment.

“We have severe damage, compromise to buildings and homes. We are holding strong. We have no real communication right now because all of the networks are down,” he said, adding, “We are moving about right now, we are basically in search and recover mode.

“We received catastrophic damage here and in Abaco. We have not heard from the Cays as yet. On the mainland, we can see tremendous damage the kind of which we have never seen before. Continue to pray for us, we are holding strong.” 

The foreign minister said “multiple persons” were holed up at the government complex “and there are still some in shelters, some stull remain at homes.

“We are okay, we are going to be okay, just continue to pray for us,” he said in his message which lasted just over one minute.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that Dorian, is moving west at one mph and a slow westward to west-northwestward motion is forecast during the next day or so, followed by a gradual turn toward the northwest and north today and tonight.  The hurricane will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast tonight through Wednesday evening,” NHC said.

“Dorian is a category 5 hurricane … and although gradual weakening is forecast, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next couple of days,” it warned.

Minister of State for Grand Bahamas, James Kwasi Malik Thompson, said Monday that Freeport was feeling the brunt of the hurricane.

“The eye of the storm is now over Freetown … which means that Freeport is really receiving the brunt of the front of the eye wall,” as he appealed to residents to continue to take all precautions to ensure their safety.

“We are, unfortunately, receiving many, many calls from residents who are completely flooded out in their houses,” he said, adding that it was virtually impossible for rescue teams to venture out into the open to assist.

“We made some attempts to try and rescue some folks over the bridge but the unfortunate part about this is because of the 150 miles per hour winds, they were unable to move to get into that area. So we do have to wait unfortunately,” Thompson said.

“We are going to be in this for the long haul. I am told that the storm is pretty much stationary now. It is going to be here for another 10 to 12 hours and we are going to be bombarded with this (winds). So we need residents to hunker down. We know it is a very, very challenging and difficult time, but we need you to hunker down,” he added.