Tropical storm warning ends in hurricane-battered Bahamas
September 14, 2019
Storm Humberto is expected to miss the island nation, but more than 1,300 people are missing after a recent hurricane. The UN has said climate change is responsible.
An aerial view of floods and damage from Hurricane Dorian in Freeport, Grand BahamaImage: AFP/A. DelGiudice
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The Bahamas has discontinued a tropical storm warning as Humberto shifts away from the island nation stricken by Hurricane Dorian.
Tropical Storm Humberto is expected to become a hurricane by Sunday night or early Monday morning, but by the time it intensifies to that strength, it won't threaten land, the US National Hurricane Center reported.
However, authorities cautioned that the storm could still cause dangerous swells late this weekend and into next week in the northwestern Bahamas and along the coasts of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.
Carl Smith, a spokesman for the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), had warned of additional repercussions for a nation still struggling to come to terms with the devastation caused by Dorian, classified as a category 5 hurricane. "The weather system will slow down logistics. Fuel and water remain the biggest needs in Abaco."
The death toll from Dorian now stands at 52, although officials have said they expect it to increase significantly once all the bodies are recovered. Some 1,300 people are still missing.
UN blames climate change
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered his support to the battered islands as he said the warnings of climate change must be heeded.
He tweeted: "I've come to the Bahamas to express my solidarity with the Bahamian people after the onslaught of #HurricaneDorian, and to discuss ways we can continue supporting them."
"Hospitals are either in ruins, or overwhelmed," the UN chief continued. "Schools have been turned into rubble. Thousands of people will continue to need help with food, water and shelter."
"In our new era of climate crisis, hurricanes and storms are turbo-charged," he said. "They happen with greater intensity and frequency, a direct result of warmer oceans."
"Science is telling us: this is just the start. Without urgent action, climate disruption is only going to get worse. Every week brings news of climate-related devastation."
Hurricane Dorian churns through Caribbean
Hurricane Dorian has gathered force and hit the Bahamas on its slow path toward the southeastern US. Experts warned of the life-threatening "fury" of one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/NASA
Heading up the US coast
Dorian has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm, after exiting the Bahamas. It has continued on a north and northeast path, brushing past Florida and on its way to Georgia and South and North Carolina. Dorian had exploded from a Category 3 to Category 5 hurricane within just two days, with maximal sustained winds reaching up to 295 kilometers (185 miles) per hour, as it hit the Bahamas.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/Zuma Wire/NOAA
Abaco Islands 'decimated'
Aerial footage of the Abaco Islands, Dorian's worst-hit area, showed vast devastation following the storm. Hundreds of homes were missing their roofs, cars were overturned, and widespread flooding and debris was strewn all over. Bahamas' Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said sections of the island had been "decimated."
Image: Reuters/Trans Island Airways/M. Cove
Death toll expected to rise
As of Wednesday evening, 20 people were confirmed dead in the Bahamas due to the storm. Storm surges of 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 meters) left wide areas in the archipelago under water. The international airport and hospital in the main city of Freeport were under water, complicating rescue operations.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/R. Espinosa
Bahamas hit hardest
The eye of the storm moved very slowly, and residents were forced to cope with more than 30 hours of hurricane winds, torrential rain and flooding.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/AP/R. Espinosa
Bad time for golf
US President Donald Trump has described the storm as "monstrous" and urged everyone to heed any evacuation orders given by the authorities. Previously, Florida officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for Palm Beach County, home of Trump's Mar-a-Lago golf resort. The governors of Georgia and South Carolina also ordered mandatory evacuations of their states' coastal areas.
Image: Getty Images/T. Brenner
Better safe than sorry
The hurricane's path and very slow progress have continued to cause confusion. Even if the storm only grazes the US east coast, local authorities have already set up shelters and urged those in vulnerable areas to relocate.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/G. Herbert
Waiting for water
The slow movement of the storm left many in Florida holding their breaths and rushing to stock up on food, water and medicine to last them at least seven days. This Costco store in central Florida only allowed two cases of bottled water per person.
NASA scientists developed this mobile launch pad to help them send more humans to the moon. As the storm threatened to come close to Cape Canaveral, they decided to move it into the massive Vehicle Assembly Building to keep it safe. But NASA was spared the worst, as the storm inched just off the coast of Florida.
