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
More footage from Grand Bahama, where this low-lying area has been submerged after heavy rain brought by the storm.
Ron DeSantis, Florida’s governor, has given an update on the state's preparations for the hurricane.
Mr DeSantis said 72 nursing homes and assisted living facilities along the coast have been evacuated and some Florida hospitals have also started evacuating.
Five ports (Miami, Everglades, Fort Pierce, Palm Beach and Port Canaveral) have been closed due to Dorian as well.
You can watch the full press conference below:
Breaking News: Hurricane Dorian has been downgraded to a strong Category 4 with wind speeds of 155 mph.
Hello. This is Andrew Buncombe in Seattle. Taking over our coverage of Dorian as it continues to pound the Bahamas and threaten a large swathe of the southeast US coast
In the Bahamas, minister of foreign affairs and North Abaco MP, Darren Henfield told the there were reports of “catastrophic damage” and reports of casualties and “bodies being seen”. He said
they can't confirm this until they can check for themselves
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said he is monitoring and overseeing the response of the federal government to Dorian, has just arrived at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia
Authorities in the Bahamas are urging people to find floating devices and grab hammers to break out of their attics if necessary as Hurricane Dorian unleashed massive flooding across Grand Bahama island, according to the Associated Press.
Minister of state Kwasi Thompson told ZNS Bahamas radio station, officials were getting a tremendous number of calls from people in distress as the powerful category 4 storm slowed to almost a standstill
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