Stage 5 Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc as it made landfall in the Bahamas over the weekend, with its eye continuing to move slowly over the islands as of Monday 2 September.
According to NASA the hurricane has reached maximum sustained winds of 298 km/h with gusts over 320 km/h, making it one of the seven strongest Atlantic hurricanes since 1950. Sky News reported that the Abaco Islands saw storm surges of 5.5m to 7m.
Only one death has been reported by local media. The Bahamas Press tweeted that a seven year-old boy drowned and that his sister is missing on Abaco. Authorities in the Bahamas have yet to confirm any deaths.
A statement by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) following a rapid assessment estimated that 13,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed across the islands.
Sune Bulow Head of the (IFRC) Emergency Operation Centre said in the statement, “We don’t yet have a complete picture of what has happened. But it is clear that Hurricane Dorian has had a catastrophic impact. We anticipate extensive shelter needs, alongside the need for short-term economic support, as well as for clean water and health assistance.”
The hurricane is expected to head towards the southeastern coast of the United States during the week. The Guardian reported that meteorologists had difficulty predicting the hurricane’s path due to its wide “cone of uncertainty”.
US states which are expected to be affected have issued evacuation notices for those in their low lying coastal regions. Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida have all been cautioned, with the National Hurricane Centre warning of “life-threatening” storm surges along Florida’s east coast.
Image source: NASA
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