This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
On Monday, September 2, 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas, bringing with it catastrophic winds and torrential downpours that left many areas under water.
Residents of the islands are making desperate calls for help, with many pleading for assistance on social media and through text messages.
One such message was sent by Yasmin Rigby, a resident of Freeport, who forwarded a text message from Kendra Williams, a resident of Heritage, who was trapped in her home with her six grandchildren and son.
"Anybody who can help me, this is Kendra Williams. I live in Heritage. We are under water; we are up in the ceiling," the message read.
Don Cornish, the Grand Bahama disaster manager, confirmed that authorities were receiving many frantic calls for help, with people desperate to escape the storm surge that had left their homes under water.
"We're getting a lot of frantic people calling in," Cornish said. "They're very concerned because of the storm surge... We have had persons who are trying to get out in these conditions because they're desperate because of the level the water has come in their homes."
As the storm continued to batter the islands, residents were left to face the devastating aftermath, with many homes left without power or water.
Gertha Joseph, a 35-year-old resident of Marsh Harbor, Abaco, shared a harrowing story of how she and her four-month-old son were forced to flee their home as the roof blew off.
"He put (my son in) this plastic thing and he swam across with him because I can't swim," she said, describing how a neighbor came to her aid.
