Imagine roofs being torn off of buildings, houses being flooded with water, and cars flipped over and damaged. People have nowhere to turn, trying to brace themselves for impact.
The devastation that would strike the Bahamas was one they could never truly prepared for.
Dorian, a Category Five at the time it hit the Bahamas on Sunday, remained stationary for an extended period of time, causing mass damage to the country. Some houses there are mainly made of wood, not built to sustain a hurricane with a wind speed of 185 miles per hour.
“The Bahamas isn’t suited to sustain hurricanes like that and it makes me worry for the next,” said Anite Augustin, a sophomore at MLEC.
Videos and photos of the wreckage in the Bahamas have gone viral. Throughout the media, there is footage of water from the ocean reaching the second floor of a house, with pieces of furniture and appliances floating throughout the building.
In many of the pictures online, one can see what is left of the cities, like Abacco city, affected: knocked down trees, collapsed buildings and water just about everywhere.
The aftermath of Dorian has been described as completely catastrophic. Currently, the death toll of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas is about 30, and this number is expected to rise significantly. The destruction within the country has also impacted residents in the United States, who have a connection to the Bahamas or loved ones there.
“I’m Bahamian, so to see the destruction there makes me sad. Bahamas is my home and seeing the once beautiful place turn into a disaster is upsetting and hurts my heart,” said Mya Young, a junior at MLEC.
Originally, Florida was forecasted to be in Dorian’s merciless path. However, Dorian changed course and was then projected to head North after hitting the Bahamas. While many Floridians are grateful that the hurricane did not cause a significant amount of damage here, there are others who almost wished that it hit Florida instead of Bahamas.
“I felt frustrated about Dorian staying over the Bahamas for 54 hours. It was supposed to hit us… If it had hit Florida we would’ve been better suited for a hurricane like that and more prepared,” said Augustin.
Now, many Floridians are seeking a way to help the Bahamas by donating canned foods, emergency kits, and such. At MLEC, this humanitarian prospect hasn’t been overlooked. Not even one day after students returned there, an effort to provide relief for the Bahamas was put in place.
Throughout the week, students have been able to drop off items such as toiletries and canned goods in boxes put aside for said donations. The donations collected will be taken to the town of Miami Lakes, where it will be shipped to the Bahamas.
“Any help or donations that you can send there, send it. The people of Bahamas really need it,” said Young.
