PPM Disaster Response: Hurricane Dorian - The Bahamas

On Tuesday, September 17th, we met with Pastor Sterling. He is the kind of man that will give every single thing he has to serve someone else, no matter the cost. We spent time in prayer for transportation for his church and for his mental burden as he works to take care of his congregation and Haitian Bahamians who have come to his community after the Hurricane. 

We were so thankful to be able to bring him a donation in order to fix the church bus! This will help provide transportation for those that are unable to attend church or move around the island without relying on help from others.

Pastor's congregation members have been opening their home to those coming from Abaco and housing a great number of people.

These people are coming with only the clothes on their backs. They have suffered immense tragedy and been through something so harrowing, many of us can’t even begin to imagine it. 

They need counseling, basic necessities, money to pay for doctor’s bills and more.

The need is great. Please consider giving. 

Pastor Exante one of our partner pastors on Nassau has been cooking meals to serve two of the shelters on the island that specifically house Haitian Bahamians. Last night when our staff met with Exante he shared about the current state of the shelters. Children living there are currently not able to go to school and the spaces are tight. 
One of the Pastors he oversees, Pastor Meme, is currently residing in a shelter after loosing everything on Abaco including his church building and many of his family and friends. 
Thanks to those that have given we were able to make a donation to Pastor Exante's church to help provide a meal at one of the shelters on Wednesday during lunch. 
Each meal cooked for the two shelters costs around $1000 or $2.25 per person. This will be a long term need as building on the family islands will be a long process and many living there have no where else to go. 

Damage to the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco have been greater and more extensive than predicted. It is estimated that 60% of these islands have been severely damaged or destroyed, and the airport on Grand Bahama is no longer there. First responders are struggling to access land, as there are few places for boats or helicopters to approach. They are hopeful that this will become easier as waters recede over the next couple of days. Our hearts are broken with our partners there. We will be sending staff down as soon as we're able to assess logistics of bringing teams and prioritize projects with our partners, but it's a waiting game as basic functions are still needing to recuperate.

We want to thank each of you who have donated to relief efforts thus far - our partners are looking to mobilize those funds for immediate efforts as soon as possible. The need will be immense, and any and all support is appreciated.

Hurricane Dorian has moved north and is no longer over the Bahamas, which has opened up the opportunity for rescue boats and helicopters to begin meeting immediate needs. This morning, communication opened up and we are now able to communicate with our partners on Grand Bahama and Abaco. We praise God with them that they and their families are alive and unharmed! The damage done on both the islands is catastrophic and the road to recovery will be long and difficult. Please continue to pray for all those affected by the storm and for the families that are mourning their losses. We are leaning hard into the promises of God, that He works all things for good.

Hurricane Dorian has now been downgraded to a category 3 storm and has begun its path north. The island of Grand Bahama is still experiencing some major effects of the wind, storm surges, and flooding, but will hopefully get some clearer weather later today.

Communication is still down for our partners on Abaco and Grand Bahama. We have received some updates from local people via Facebook, but cell towers for calling are not currently operational. Our partners on Nassau are anxious to hear from their friends and connections in those areas, and they will be notifying us as soon as the lines of communication are open.

We are receiving scattered reports from Abaco and there is widespread destruction there. Our hearts are breaking with everyone there. We know that there will need to be a considerable effort for relief and recovery there, and anticipate that the need in Grand Bahama will be even greater.

Please continue to pray for the Bahamas and for Florida and the southeastern US as Dorian tracks north.

Beginning around 10pm last night, Dorian made landfall on the island of Grand Bahama. Winds are still incredibly high, and unfortunately, the storm is turning while there, which means that an already slow-moving storm has pretty much come to a standstill. It is still, even now on Monday evening, situated right over that island and communication with our partners there has been difficult to say the least. The storm is projected to move north toward Florida beginning on Tuesday morning, but this means that the 50,000-some people on Grand Bahama will have withstood winds of up to 200mph for well over 24 hours.

Please take some time right now to pray. Our hearts are heavy for our friends and brothers and sisters there.

After a long day of high winds and rain on Abaco yesterday, the main force of Hurricane Dorian moved on to the neighboring island of Grand Bahama last night. Throughout the day, people have surfaced to assess the damage on Abaco, including helicopters working to help those stranded on higher stories of flooded buildings. 

Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters there - we are grateful that the storm has passed this area, but water levels are still high and this begins a long road ahead to recover what was lost.

Hurricane Dorian began impacting Abaco this morning and is expected to continue to impact the island for the next 24 hours. The island has seen storm surges around 20 feet and winds up to 220 mph. Grand Bahama began experiencing similar conditions shortly after Abaco.

We know that many people have already lost homes, and power lines are down. The flooding is severe as well.  

Please join us in continued prayers for the Bahamas. 

Dorian has now strengthened to a category 5. It is currently over Abaco and will continue to move over Grand Bahamas where Freeport is located. The hurricane's direction has changed many times. We are keeping a close eye on where it may make landfall in the United States. 

Please pray for the people of the Bahamas as the storm slowly moves over them. 

As Dorian strengthens and heads toward Grand Bahama and Abaco in the Bahamas and Florida we are closely working with our partners and staff to receive updates. 

We ask for prayers for peace and strength as Dorian is forecasted to hit the Bahamas on Sunday and Florida Monday into Tuesday.  

The winds of Dorian have strengthened to 70mph. It will be classified as a Category 1 storm as it impacts the Northeast corner of Puerto Rico. Vieques and Culebra, the two island municipalities, as likely to experience damage as well as Fajardo and Ceiba on the eastern side of the island. Please join us in praying for peace the storm makes landfall. Pray the Lord sustains electricity throughout the entire island, or that repairs can be made quickly. 

Dorian has now moved past Puerto Rico. As fas as we know electricity has stayed intact across the island and there is minimal damage. Please continue to pray as there is concern the storm could strengthen as the storm heads towards the Bahamas and Florida. 

As the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, and many other locations prepare for Dorian we have heard one common thread. They are preparing but praying the storm lessens as it draws nearer. 

Many of these locations have seen strong storms in the past few years causing anxiousness and worry when a new storm approaches. Please be in prayer for these communities as they gather extra supplies and wait for the storm.