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Agence France-Presse

Monster storm Dorian hovered over the Bahamas as surging seawaters and ferocious winds sowed chaos in low-lying island communities, killing at least five people and spurring mass evacuations on the US east coast.
Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis termed the hurricane a “historic tragedy” for the archipelago of 700 islands and cays in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Florida.
As Dorian ground to a standstill, pounding Grand Bahama further to the west of the island chain, the Bahamas tourism and aviation ministry announced the start of rescue operations “in parts where it is safe”.
For many, the wait for help to arrive has been terrifying.

Grand Bahama is still feeling the impact of the Category 5 #HuricaneDorian. Based on reports out of Abaco, the devastation is unprecedented. Winds have decreased to 165MPH but Dorian remains an extremely dangerous storm. Our focus right now is rescue, recovery and prayer.
— Dr Hubert Minnis (@minnis_dr) September 2, 2019

A text message from a woman named Kendra Williams, who lives on Grand Bahama said: “We are under water; we are up in the ceiling. Can someone please assist us or send some help. Please. Me and my six grandchildren and my son, we are in the ceiling.”
Dorian weakened slightly Tuesday to a still-dangerous Category 3 storm, punishing Grand Bahama with winds of up to 205km/h (105 mph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said.


The monster storm was expected to drift to the northwest late on Tuesday and stalk the US coast of Florida, South Carolina and Georgia, it said.
Fear gripped residents of Freeport, as winds tore off shutters and water began coming into homes, said Yasmin Rigby, reached by text in the Grand Bahama island’s main city.
“People who thought they were safe are now calling for help,” Rigby said.

Initial Red Cross estimates were that 13,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed by Dorian, officials in Geneva said.
The NHC warned of a storm surge of five metres above normal tide levels in parts of Grand Bahama, accompanied by large and destructive waves, saying that people on the island should “remain in shelter”.
Water levels in the Abacos, swamped by a similar surge Sunday, were expected to slowly subside.




“The hurricane will then move dangerously close to the Florida east coast late Tuesday through Wednesday evening and then move dangerously close to the Georgia and South Carolina coasts on Wednesday night and Thursday,” the NHC said.
All three eastern US states have ordered coastal residents to evacuate, affecting close to a million people.
Neighbouring North Carolina has also declared a state of emergency, as has Virginia further north.
The Florida senator and former governor Rick Scott wrote on Twitter that “a slight wobble West” would bring the storm “on shore with devastating consequences”.
Hurricane Dorian could wipe out power to millions of homes in Florida, some for weeks
Dorian was tied with Gilbert (1988), Wilma (2005) and the 1935 Labour Day hurricane for the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, based on maximum sustained winds. Allen in 1980 was the most powerful, with 306km/h winds, the NHC said.
Scientists have warned that climate change is making hurricanes more intense. As global warming heats up the ocean surface temperature, storms gather more energy, which can lead to greater rainfall and stronger winds as they make landfall.
“When scientists put the pieces together, they project that in general, hurricanes will become more intense in a warming world ... much like we’ve seen recently with Hurricanes Harvey, Michael and Florence,” the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit science advocacy group, said in a blog post about Dorian.
Additional reporting by Reuters and Bloomberg


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Extreme weather

Hurricane Dorian: first deaths in Bahamas from most powerful storm in its history

Hurricane Dorian's eye taken by Nasa astronaut Nick Hague, from aboard the International Space Station. Photo: EPA

Strong winds batter Oceanhill Boulevard in Freeport, as Hurricane Dorian passes over Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas September 2, 2019 in this still image taken from a video by social media. Lou Carroll via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

Monster Hurricane Dorian smashes into Bahamas as US braces for impact

Hurricane Dorian struck the northern Bahamas on Sunday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm. Photo: AFP

Yolande Rolle puts sandbags at her shop's doorstep as she prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in Freeport on Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019. Hurricane Dorian intensified yet again Sunday as it closed in on the northern Bahamas, threatening to batter islands with Category 5-strength winds, pounding waves and torrential rain. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Palm trees blow in the wind during the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in Marsh Harbour, the Great Abaco Island, Bahamas, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Dante Carrer

Hurricane Dorian could wipe out power to millions of homes in Florida, some for weeks

Hurricane Dorian as viewed from the International Space Station on Friday. Photo: Handout via Nasa

Shoppers wait in a long line for a Sam's Club store to open before sunrise, as people rushed to buy supplies ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in Kissimmee, Florida, U.S. August 30, 2019. REUTERS/Gregg Newton. REFILE - CORRECTING DATE

Dorian strengthens to category four hurricane as it menaces Bahamas en route to Florida

Hurricane Dorian is seen approaching The Bahamas and Florida. Photo: AFP

epa07805806 A person walks past an empty shelf at a Walmart Supercenter on Merritt Island, Florida, USA, 30 August 2019. Floridians are stocking up on supplies in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to make landfall late on 04 September as a strong Category 4 hurricane. EPA-EFE/JIM LO SCALZO

Farah y Max Cicardini fill sandbags at the parking of the Big Easy Casino, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 in Hallandale Beach, Fla. Hurricane Dorian was muscling a chaotic path toward Florida, with officials and residents bracing for the possibility it would unleash its full fury early next week but clinging to the glimmer of hope that the strengthening storm could simply skirt the coastline. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)

This handout image shot on August 29, 2019 by an astronaut on the International Space Station and released by NASA Earth Observatory shows Hurricane Dorian passing near the Dominican Republic (bottom). - Hurricane Dorian strengthened to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm on August 30 as it moved toward the Bahamas and the US state of Florida, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The hurricane has maximum sustained winds near 130 miles per hour (215 kilometers per hour), the NHC said in an advisory. (Photo by Handout / NASA Earth Observatory / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / NASA EARTH OBSERVATORY " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Beach goers on South Beach check out one of the iconic lifeguard stands as bands of rain fall in the distance, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, on Miami Beach, Fla. All of Florida is under a state of emergency and authorities are urging residents to stockpile a week's worth of food and supplies as Hurricane Dorian gathers strength and aims to slam the state as soon as Monday as a Category 4 storm. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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Dorian weakens to a Category 3 hurricane but continues to batter the Bahamas as it remains almost at a standstill
Hundreds of thousands of people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina ordered to evacuate before the storm hits US



Dorian weakens to a Category 3 hurricane but continues to batter the Bahamas as it remains almost at a standstill.
