With sustained wind speeds of 185 MPH and flooding up to 20 feet, Hurricane Dorian has been classified as the strongest hurricane on record to ever hit the islands. Initial reports show severe, widespread damage to housing and infrastructure across both Great Abaco and Grand Bahama. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), more than 76,000 people were affected by Hurricane Dorian and are in need of immediate humanitarian relief.

Dorian pulled away from The Bahamas as a category 3 hurricane and moved up the US Atlantic coast. Although Dorian made landfall as a category 1 hurricane on the outer banks of North Carolina, causing surge flooding damage, the impact on the US Atlantic coast was limited enough for local efforts to support the needs. 

 

Our work in The Bahamas

Our Response Team is on the ground, in The Bahamas, working to identify specific areas to focus our efforts to best support the long road to recovery.

Our team will continue coordinating with the local government and other non-profits in Nassau to determine where in Great Abaco, Grand Bahama and the surrounding islands our unique volunteer model can be most effective. When first responders have cleared and evacuations are completed, our team will move into the affected areas to assess needs in the hardest hit communities. The assessment will concentrate on building immediate response capacity, while enabling long-term support for The Bahamas’ road to recovery.

Based on our remote assessment and conversations with local contacts, we anticipate our initial scope of work could include debris removal, tarping, tree removal, temporary shelters, muck and gut and mold sanitation. We believe in staying for the long term and plan to help rebuild resilience in affected communities. Our recovery efforts will likely target school repairs and rebuilds.

 

Assessments in the U.S

After following the hurricane up the Atlantic coast from Georgia to North Carolina and working with local contacts, our US assessment team has demobilized as they believe local aid will be able to address any needs that exist. However, we are in touch with our partners in North Carolina in case they need support.

Please donate or volunteer today to help support our hurricane relief efforts.