Return to waste land

Article by ANMAR GOODRIDGE-BOYCE in The Bahamas

HOPELESS. That is how residents of the devastated Abaco and Grand Bahama feel one week later.

It is now seven days after Hurricane Dorian ravaged these two islands of The Bahamas, but for some it is like the Category 5 “monster” never left.

Residents in Freeport continue to struggle to come to grips and recover after up to 30 inches of rainfall and winds over 200 miles per hour destroyed most, if not all, of their possessions.

Days after the massive destruction, many fled Grand Bahama by boat to Nassau, but when they returned home yesterday they were left in a state of shock – unrecognisable homes, and the smell and sight of corpses and dead animals.

The death toll yesterday was still being reported at 43, but is expected to rise significantly as the authorities get a clearer picture of the destruction.

One of two local airports, the Grand Bahamas International, is no longer in use for the time being. Private jets and commercial aircrafts, hangars and terminals were ripped apart and covered in debris as the storm hovered for 48 hours.

Subscribe now to our eNATION edition.

For the latest stories and breaking news updates download the Nationnews apps for iOS and Android.