UPDATED: 12:25 p.m. EDT, Sept. 2 — While horrifying images of devastation were still coming out of the Bahamas as of Monday afternoon, Hurricane Dorian was downgraded to a Category 4 storm, offering people stuck there a chance to see a light at the end of the powerful weather pattern’s tunnel.
What were once winds of up to 200 miles per hour were now about 45 miles per hour slower, according to a new report from USA Today. However, the Bahamas, which has seen structures ruined, homes flooded and at least one death, wasn’t out of trouble yet.
“On this track, the core of extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian will continue to pound Grand Bahama Island through much of today and tonight,” the National Hurricane Center said in an update late Monday morning.
UPDATED: 5:54 a.m. EDT, Sept. 2 — The first death from Hurricane Dorian has been reported. An eight-year-old boy named Lachino Mcintosh reportedly drowned in the flooding from the storm in the Bahamas. His sister was reported missing, as well.
Dorian has reportedly “almost stalled” above the Bahamas, moving at about a speed of one mile per hour while unleashing winds that have fluctuated between 180 and 200 miles per hour.
Forecasters predicted that Dorian would move toward the southeastern seaboard of the U.S. on Monday. The storm was expected to hit parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
Original story:
Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas on Sunday afternoon, proving all forecasts correct and then some by unleashing flooding and destruction across the Caribbean nation. Devastating images were quickly published across social media showing the effect of Dorian’s Category 5 wind speeds and rain on roads, homes and other structures.
“Dorian hit land in Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands at 12:40 p.m., and then made a second landfall near Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco Island at 2 p.m.,” the Associated Press reported. Dorian’s 185 miles per hour winds reportedly “tied the record for the most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever to come ashore, equaling the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, before the storms were named.”
While Bahamas residents were encouraged to evacuate, doing so wasn’t mandatory and some folks remained in place to try to weather the storm.
Bahamian Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Alexander Minnis spoke in no uncertain terms when he cautioned people not to underestimate Hurricane Dorian, according to the Nassau Guardian.
“This is probably the most sad and worst day of my life to address the Bahamian people,” Minnis said during a press conference on Sunday. “As a physician I’ve been trained to withstand many things, but never anything like this. We’re facing a hurricane… one that we’ve never seen in the history of The Bahamas, with wind velocity as high as 180 mph, with gusts in excess of 200 mph.”
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But since most homes in the Bahamas are built to handle winds as fast as 150 miles per hours, “So this will put us through a test that we’ve never confronted before,” he said before emphasizing to the people who chose not to evacuate: “This is a deadly storm and a monster storm. “I can only say to them, that I hope this is not the last time they will hear my voice and may God be with them.”
The National Hurricane Center also had a message for the people who decided to shelter in place.
“This is a life-threatening situation,” the National Hurricane Center said. “Residents in the Abacos should stay in their shelter. Do not venture into the eye if it passes over your location.”
As the United States braced for Dorian’s expected path to continued toward Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, scroll down and take a look at some of the devastating scenes coming out of the Bahamas in what may foreshadow more of what’s to come along the American southeastern seaboard.
1.
Take a walk through the Minister of Agriculture & Marine Resources Michael Pintard's house in Grand Bahama.
— ∼Marietta (@_MariettaDavis) September 2, 2019
I have no words. 😢#Dorian #Category5#Bahamaspic.twitter.com/a36xNSMo1P
2.
Catastrophic scene too at the Freeport airport? #Bahamas #Dorian pic.twitter.com/cVNqNR5JaC
— Sound Chat Radio (@IrishandChin) September 2, 2019
3.
Abaco Bahamas woke up to this #HurricaneDorian2019 pic.twitter.com/o15Yf6EJMU
— KISHON TURNER (@revel75) September 2, 2019
4.
L'ocean visite les Bahamas... poussé par les vents de l'ouragan #Dorian sous des pluies incessantes... pic.twitter.com/N9F25Lxzhu
— Vanneur 🇫🇷🇺🇳🇲🇦 (@Vanneur) September 2, 2019
5.
Footage of a home on Grand Bahama. pic.twitter.com/D0I0Ny80BE
— Travis Carroll (@TravisCC) September 2, 2019
6.
WATER TO ROOF! This local news anchor in the #Bahamas records how high the water is rising near her home. Unbelievable. (via Shenique Miller) #Dorian #HurricaneDorian #Flooding #Freeport pic.twitter.com/3q3j6m172B
— Josh Benson (@WFLAJosh) September 2, 2019
7.
Sometimes we forget how truly lucky Jamaica is, it's location in the Caribbean.
— 🇯🇲 2020 Survivor (@DiRealSolly) September 2, 2019
Bahamas is going through hell pic.twitter.com/EHXHPMh1dA
8.
Storm surge in the capital of the Bahamas... pic.twitter.com/eua5WSOhCd
— Sincerely Real (@SincerelyReal1) September 2, 2019
9.
Hurricane Dorian has struck the Bahamas, bringing powerful winds and damaging rains. In response, The hurricane is expected to approach the Florida coast from late Monday through Tuesday, and then move northward along the US East Coast. pic.twitter.com/Qh7iC3kTbz
— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) September 2, 2019
10.
Bahamas suffer ‘huge damage’ as hurricane Dorian slams into islands with winds of 220mph pic.twitter.com/lhICuQ3iLs
— The Independent (@Independent) September 2, 2019
11.
Walk through storm-hit Elbow Cay shows extent of destruction in Hope Town as Hurricane Dorian lashes the Bahamas. https://t.co/cH8sAKuRWQ pic.twitter.com/WSNORsZu4o
— ABC News (@ABC) September 2, 2019
12.
13.
Grand Bahama Island Hurricane #Dorian makes landfall in Bahamas with life-threatening 185 mph winds. https://t.co/heSaCNV65s
— srb news (@srbnews0) September 1, 2019
14.
15. A plea for help
A desperate cry for help 😢😢😢😢#HurricaneDorian #Abaco #Bahamas Lord please help us pic.twitter.com/874BEsiB8t
— MVP (@mvp242) September 1, 2019
16. Flooding
I been in 3 but this takes the cake #Dorian2019 The Bahamas pic.twitter.com/YvXUMbgyou
— Billionaire Club CO LLC (@LlcBillionaire) September 1, 2019
17. Aerial view
First video coming in from Bahamas after Dorian passed through and it's complete devastation https://t.co/8c91KTEBkU pic.twitter.com/LdvVQFstWY
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) September 1, 2019
18. Massive flooding
This is in Marsh Harbour, Abaco In the The Bahamas 🇧🇸 being pounded by Hurricane Dorian on Sunday 1st September, 2019 at this time 🙏🏽#HurricaneDorian2019 #HurricaneDorian #hurricane #hurricandorian #weather #ClimateChange #242 #Bahamas pic.twitter.com/fPiAZG6rGl
— 🌍James Julmis🌍 (@julmisjames) September 1, 2019
19. Home destroyed
Damn pic.twitter.com/9yqAa3Ebli
— Latrae L. Rahming (@latraelrahming) September 1, 2019
20. Home flooded
21. Catastrophic damage
22. Flood waters
Category 5 Hurricane Dorian makes landfall in the Bahamas https://t.co/w3sa34zknC
— 🦋𝔐𝔦𝔩𝔡𝔯𝔢𝔡𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔩🦋 (@clmildredangel) September 1, 2019
23. Ruined home
Abaco, Bahamas....muddoes pic.twitter.com/vy30404F6a
— Lil B (@ANoWOe) September 1, 2019
24. Boats in disrepair
Everyone Please Say a Prayer for our Family And Friends in the Bahamas 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 #Bahamas pic.twitter.com/yFh4bs1p5F
— John Michael Howcott (@JohnMichaelH) September 1, 2019
25. Rescue operation
26.
“Everything’s floating.”
— ABC News (@ABC) September 2, 2019
A Freeport man wades through knee-deep water that flooded his home as Hurricane Dorian batters the Bahamas, bringing life-threatening storm surge and flash flooding to the islands. https://t.co/fXpcL6jcTH pic.twitter.com/MmxC50CAuK