Recovery and relief efforts are underway in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, which hit the Bahamas on Sunday as the strongest storm ever to make landfall in the country and one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record.
According to reports, the death toll from the Category 5 hurricane has risen to 20 and is expected to rise as storm rescue workers scour the archipelago. In addition, early reports said more than 13,000 homes (or 45 percent) in the hard-hit Grand Bahama Island and Abaco Islands were severely damaged or destroyed, and about 60,000 people may be in dire need of food relief. Sixty percent of Grand Bahama, furthermore, is underwater.
“We are saddened by the images of devastation,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor, one of several NRB members that have sent teams or supplies to assist with relief efforts.
“If it were us, we would want to know that caring people would come to our aid,” he stated in a press release. “They have nothing left. We must respond and we must do so immediately.”
Also responding to the desperate needs of hurricane victims is Samaritan’s Purse, which sent tons of emergency relief and a dozen of their disaster response team specialists to the Bahamas aboard their DC-8 aircraft Wednesday morning. Samaritan’s Purse is also sending a small plane and helicopter to support their work and allow team members to access hard-to-reach areas.
“Families in the Bahamas are suffering,” said Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan’s Purse, in a press release. “Please join me in praying for everyone affected by this hurricane, and for our teams as we respond in Jesus’ Name.”
Other NRB members assisting in relief efforts include the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, Operation Blessing International, Somebody Cares International, and World Vision.
For ways to help NRB members serving in the Bahamas, click on one or more of the links below.
Bill Graham Evangelistic Association
https://billygraham.org/story/billy-graham-chaplains-prepare-to-respond-to-hurricane-dorian/
Operation Blessing International
https://www.ob.org/mc/obdisaster/
Samaritan’s Purse
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/pray-for-those-in-the-path-of-hurricane-dorian/
Somebody Cares International
https://somebodycares.org/dorian-devastates-bahamas/
World Vision
https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2019-hurricane-dorian
