Dorian strikes Bahamas as record storm Dorian made landfall over Bahamas as a category 5 hurricane on Elbow Cay in BAHAMAS the Abacos (pop. 17,200) with windspeeds of 185mph, becoming the strongest hurricane on record for the Bahamas. HURRICANE DORIAN: One Month After as of 04 October 2019 Dorian makes record landfall Dorian brought windspeeds in excess of 220mph and 23ft. storm surge as it barrelled over north-western Bahamas in early September. p.1 Coordinating an efficient response Fox Town, Bahamas Following the destruction left by Dorian, many were left with critical food and water needs. Authorities and partners With more than 100 organizations set up aid distribution centers for affected people in hard-hit areas like Fox Town. Photo: UN/OCHA/Mark Garten present in The Bahamas, effective coordination among stakeholders During its path of destruction, Dorian slowed proved critical to the response. to a crawl over Grand Bahama (pop. 51,000), p.3 remaining nearly stationary for some 36 220MPH hours before clearing out towards the south- WINDSPEEDS RECORDED DURING Response scales up to meet needs eastern United States on 3 September. HURRICANE DORIAN IN BAHAMAS From pre-deployments prior to Dorian’s Shortly after the Government of The arrival and the presence of more than Bahamas issued the all-clear on 4 September, 23F T. 340 response personnel, response pre-deployed teams were able to verify their STORM SURGE CAUSED BY HURRICANE scaled up to meet priority needs. initial flyover reports of catastrophic damage DORIAN IN BAHAMAS p.4 to homes, businesses and infrastructure across Abaco and Grand Bahama. GRAND BAHAMA Breaking down the response ABACO Grand Bahama suffered considerable damage The breadth of Dorian’s impact required a multi-facted approach to support Abaco, the most severely affected island, as well, with the eastern part of the island Bahamas’s thematic Emergency suffered thousands of flattened homes, bearing the brunt of Dorian’s destruction, Support Functions. downed power lines and damaged roads and including the near-complete destruction of p.6 water wells. Abaco residents were left badly the High Rock community. in need of water, electricity, sanitation and Parts of Grand Bahama took on massive shelter. Dorian all but destroyed two Central Financing contributions flooding, with Dorian leaving Grand Bahama Abaco settlements of mostly undocumented Various countries, donors and International Airport underwater and flooded migrants, creating a particular set of organizations committed their generous roads and bridges. Homes between Freetown vulnerabilities in those communities. support to The Bahamas with financing and Deep Water Cay suffered varying degrees to back relief, response and recovery. Dorian also affected critical infrastructure in of damage. Dorian also caused damage to oil p.10 Abaco, causing varying degrees of damage to refinery infrastructure that led to isolated oil the majority of Abaco’s health centers and to spills inland. Marsh Harbour, Abaco’s main port, as well As with Abaco, Dorian caused damage to as the Marsh Harbour airport, which was left Grand Bahama infrastructure; the Freeport underwater. Dorian also leveled the Power airport was completely flooded, various and Light office and knocked out nearly seaports in East Grand Bahama were all of the Bahamas Telecommunications rendered inoperable and most health centers Company’s (BTC) towers. suffered varying degrees of damage, including The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptancey b the United Nations. The numbers presented are for orientation and not conclusive. Sources are reports from national authorities from public websites. Creation date: 04 October 2019 Sources: Reliefweb Feedback: [email protected] | www.unocha.org/rolac | www.reliefweb.int 2 the total destruction of three health centers protection, information on available services and flooding at the island’s main hospital that and non-food items (NFIs). prompted emergency evacuations. LONGER-TERM OUTLOOK PRIORITY NEEDS Looking ahead to the medium- and long- Considering the extensive damages and term consequences of Dorian’s impact, UNDP As many as 5,500 people from Abaco access constraints, NEMA and assessment identified the need to support the repair of and Grand Bahama were evacuated teams established safe water, food, health damaged buildings with building-back-better to Nassau, with some 1,500 people care and shelter as priority needs. Authorities principles. UNICEF and education partners now located across seven shelters. were especially concerned with water, due noted that the successful re-integration of Some 52 people remain in two Grand to the state of water supply systems after the children evacuees into educational activities Bahama shelters. Abaco shelters have storm, saltwater intrusion into freshwater will require school-based psychosocial been discontinued over lack of usage. supply networks brought on by storm surge support, with training required for key and flooding and damage to water storage education staff to enable these services. and distribution systems. Moreover, PAHO identified the high risk of diseases potentially With damage to several of the 25 health brought on by the combination of stagnant centers and hospitals on Abaco and Grand floodwater, contamination from sewage and Bahama, the full restoration of essential health lack of access to safe water. services, such as medical care delivery, quality of water, proper sanitation and hygiene, and The Government of the Bahamas issued vector control is likely to remain a priority an Immediate Assistance Supplies List on 4 need. Additionally, environmental risks are 58 September detailing specific support needed a key area of concern. Response teams and OFFICIAL ROYAL BAHAMAS POLICE for reconstruction and recovery needs, authorities prioritized a comprehensive FORCE DEATH TOLL AS OF 30 SEP including portable generators, chainsaws and strategy for disaster waste management to (ABACO - 49 / GRAND BAHAMA - 8) debris removal tools such as shovels, rakes deal with building debris, fallen trees and and wheelbarrows. hazardous waste. With the support of private sector and One month on from Dorian, fuel and water 3.4K military air and sea transport, Bahamas remain major needs in Abaco. The Bahamas EVACUEES REGISTERED WITH THE authorities were able to evacuate thousands of Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) has DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES people from Abaco and Grand Bahama to the not yet declared the water supply in Abaco main island of New Providence, home to the as safe for consumption or domestic use. national capital of Nassau. Evacuees in Nassau The Government and remaining partners 876 filled some 13 shelters to capacity, a scenario are providing water and generators to Abaco PEOPLE FOUND (OUT OF THE 1,300 that generated its own set of needs including communities. REPORTED MISSING ) health, psychosocial support, WASH, The Mudd, Bahamas Dorian completely flattened parts of Abaco, including The Mudd, a community now left without homes and in need of critical assistance. Photo: Samaritan’s Purse 3 Coordination proves essential to response Response presence in Abaco, Grand Bahama and Nassau in support of the NEMA quickly scaled up, making effective coordination among various humanitarian actors critical to effective response. OCHA has been at the heart of Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC). supporting coordination functions Through the NEOC, NEMA worked in close among response actors, creating coordination with NGOs, donors and UN and promoting various tools and agencies. NEMA also activated its Emergency mechanisms to allow partners to Support Functions (ESF) humanitarian provide updates and information on coordination structure, composed of 15 ESFs their presence and response activities. with their own lead ministries or departments to align response functions between relevant stakeholders. International humanitarian USEFUL LINKS Nassau, Bahamas partners promptly designated focal points • Contact List Daily coordination meetings with international and for each ESF to further align response and https://t.ly/mDWGj national NGO partners at the Partners Coordination coordination efforts. Center in Nassau are critical to ensuring that the • Distribution Tracking Matrix right response reaches the most vulnerable people in NEMA established two local EOCs, one Bahamas. Photo: OCHA/Joel Cruz https://bit.ly/2k5fbvQ in Marsh Harbour (Abaco) and one in Freeport (Grand Bahama) with the support • 3W - Who, What, Where of OCHA and the United States Agency http://bit.ly/BHS-3W Response to Dorian’s catastrophic aftermath was swift, with actors from the UN, NGOs, for International Development (USAID) to • Dorian Meeting Calendar donors, the International Red Cross and coordinate relief operations among the more http://bit.ly/BHSdorianMeetings Red Crescent Movement and private sector than 110 organizations responding to Dorian. all providing support to the Government of CDEMA provided additional support by The Bahamas, who led the overall response deploying CARICOM Operational Support through NEMA and in coordination with the Teams (COSTs) to each EOC. Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management OCHA convened daily coordination meetings Agency (CDEMA). with response actors and organizations to NEMA led the coordination of the emergency address priority concerns and challenges in response, with support from CDEMA and responding to the needs of affected