Its winds of up to 150 kms an hour brought down trees, cut power lines and even threw a crane into a downtown Halifax building.
Dorian first made landfall in the Abaco islands in the Bahamas, then headed towards the US states of North Carolina and Virginia before reaching Canada’s east coast. In the Bahamas it left devastation in its wake. The World Food Programme have said that 90% of the building and infrastructure in Marsh Harbour have been damaged.
Hundreds of evacuees are now fleeing every day on ferries. Many have taken vulnerable family members, like children and the elderly to safety and expect to return to rebuild their homes.
The official death toll is currently at 43, but that number is expected to rise significantly. The total amount of the missing amongst the archipelago’s 400,000 residents is not yet clear.
Aid groups are now bringing in relief supplies and emergency help. The Pan American Health Organization have said that the risk of waterborne diseases and diarrhoea remains high as drinking water may have been contaminated by sewage.
Despite the aid agencies’ best efforts, those remaining in the Bahamas are still in desperate need of shelter, supplies and sanitation.