‘Bahamas, a Horror Story’ — Telemaque

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By Shermain Bique-Charles

[email protected]

One of the two men who travelled to Nassau as part of the government’s first response to assist the hurricane-ravaged Bahamas island chain, is describing the situation there as a “horror story”.

Hurricane Dorian, now a Category 2 storm, is finally inching away from The Bahamas, where rescue missions were hampered on Tuesday because so many police and government vehicles are submerged in rising seawater.

The storm, which hit the northern Bahamas as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, has pummeled the islands for more than two days with unrelenting rain and wind, and has killed at least five people there.

Darwin Telemaque, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s (CDEMA’s) Regional Seaport Specialist, told OBSERVER media that even after several warnings and weather reports, Bahamians were still surprised by the magnitude of the hurricane.

“There was significant flooding. In some cases, we saw more than 20 feet of water covering the airports. It is a devastating situation,” he said.

Telemaque, who is also Antigua and Barbuda’s Port Manager, along with the Director of the National Office of Disaster Services  (NODS) Philmore Mullin, are expected to travel to the Abaco islands and other parts of The Bahamas today, but he said even that may be difficult.

 “We don’t know what we will see when we get in with the military. The seaports and airports are flooded. The ports on the Abaco islands are battered,” he said.

According to Telemaque, thousands of people have to be fed and the seaports are essential to gaining access.

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