Five dead in Bahamas from Dorian as storm threatens US coast
Officials warn storm is still 'extremely dangerous' as it approaches US mainland
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Your support makes all the difference.Five people have been killed by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, the nation's prime minister has revealed, as Donald Trump spent part of the day playing golf.
As the category 4 storm pummelled the Bahamas with 145mph winds, triggering huge damage and massive flooding, the nation’s prime minister said at least five people had been killed.
“We are in the midst of a historic tragedy,” Hubert Minnis told reporters, saying the deaths had occurred on the Abaco Islands, which were where Dorian first made landfall on Sunday.
He said people on nearby Great Bahama island who are in serious distress and that rescue crews would respond once weather conditions permitted them to do so.
“This is the time for us as Bahamians to show our love, our care and our compassion,“ Mr Minnis said at a press conference on Tuesday evening. “Your compassion at this most difficult hour will bring healing and hope to those who are traumatised by this destructive hurricane.”
As officials in the Bahamas urged residents to find flotation devices and use hammers to break out of their attics if they were threatened by the massive flooding, Mr Trump spent part of the day at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Reports said it was 289th day he has spent at a Trump property and the 227th, he has enjoyed at one of his golf clubs since becoming president.
Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency as Hurricane Dorian approaches the US mainland.
South Carolina's governor Henry McMaster has ordered a mandatory evacuation of the entire coast of the state amid Dorian's threat.
The order, which covers about 830,000 people
Over the weekend, Mr Trump cancelled a trip to Poland to monitor the federal response to the storm, which he has warned could be “one of the largest hurricanes ever”.
If you would like to see how the day's drama played out please read below
Hurricane warnings are in place for large sections of Florida’s coast and the Bahamas – which is currently being battered by the storm.
Tropical storm warnings are also in effect for some counties further inland.
The National Hurricane Centre has provided an update on the long-term passage of hurricane Dorian.
The organisation is predicting tropical-storm-force winds will hit Georgia and South Carolina by Wednesday and North Carolina by Thursday.
Looking even further ahead, the centre is monitoring 4 other disturbances in the Atlantic that could become tropical cyclones in the next 5 days.
A spokesperson for Bahamas Power and Light has reported a total blackout in New Providence, the archipelago's most populous island.
Quincy Parker told ZNS Bahamas radio station on Monday morning that crews are working to restore power on the island.
He said the Bahamas Power and Light office in Abaco, which was hit by the Category 5 storm on Sunday, has been flattened.
"The reports out of Abaco, as everyone knows, were not good,” Mr Parker said.
Additional reporting by AP
If you missed it yesterday, Donald Trump caused unnecessary confusion by falsely claiming that Alabama would be affected by hurricane Dorian.
US weather organisations quickly refuted that claim.
Harry Cockburn has the full details on that story here.
As Dorian moves over Grand Bahama at an incredibly slow pace (currently just 1 mph), this is reportedly the scene in the island’s main city of Freeport.
The video, apparently filmed by a man from the island, shows cars deep in water as powerful wind and rain rages around them.
Senator Rick Scott and FEMA have both recently retweeted Airbnb’s Open Homes Programme, which is offering free temporary housing for people affected by Dorian in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Dr Hubert Minnis, the Bahamian prime minister, has released a statement on the “unprecedented” devastation caused by the storm.
Darren Henfield, the Bahamian foreign minister, has reported “catastrophic damage” in a worrying video update from Abaco.
Mr Henfield said there are “reports of casualties” and “reports of bodies being seen” but added the government cannot confirm them until the storm passes.
This GIF from the Weather Channel’s Greg Postel gives an idea of how slowly Dorian is moving over the Bahamas.
Residents in Grand Bahama have been pummeled with “tornadic-like violence” for hours.
Hurricane Dorian’s wind strength has dropped slightly as it continues to sit over the Bahamas and cause major damage, according to the National Hurricane Centre.
At 10am EDT (3pm UK time) the maximum sustained wind speed was clocked at 160 mph, down from 165 mph.
However, Dorian is still a life-threatening Category 5 storm.
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