The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) has announced that the number of missing people in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian has decreased from 2,500 to 1,300.
According to Nema, it cross-referenced the names of the missing from the hurricane with those staying in shelters in the Bahamas to come up with the updated number. The country was ravaged by Hurricane Dorian in early September, resulting to at least 50 deaths, which is expected to increase with the continued clean-up operation. The Dorian had sustained winds of 185mph or 295km/h when it made landfall at Elbow Cay on the Abaco Islands on September 1, recording the highest winds ever for a hurricane.
Addressing the country on television, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said that the government has been transparent and will "provide timely information on the loss of life as it is available."
Meanwhile, Police commissioner Anthony Ferguson said that the search operation was a slow process, claiming "We have to go through all of that rubble, take our time and search. It's going to take a long time before you can really say."
Over 5,000 people have been evacuated from Grand Bahama and Abaco to New Providence, where the country's capital is located. The US Agency for International Development has announced $4 million in new humanitarian assistance for the Bahamas, which it say would go towards providing shelter, food, medicine and water for those in the two islands. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency reported that around 15,000 people are still needing shelter or food.
Nema mentioned that the number of people wanting to leave those islands have fallen after the announcement.
A tropical storm warning has been issued by the government on September 12 but the US National Hurricane Center does not forecast a significant storm surge in the northwest Bahamas. However, rescue operations may be affected by heavy rain.
