At Least 5 People In The Bahamas Were Killed By Hurricane Dorian: Here's How To Help

On September 1, Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas. The Category 5 storm tore off roofs, lifted and destroyed cars, leveled homes, flooded airports, and killed at least five people, the New York Times reported. It was the second most powerful Atlantic storm ever recorded and has left a country already struggling politically teetering on the brink of instability.


“The Bahamas is presently at war and being attacked by Hurricane Dorian,” Prime Minister Hubert Minnis mentioned, according to the Washington Post. “And although, it has no weapon at its disposal to defend itself while in such an assault by this enemy.”


The hurricane has since weakened slightly to a Category 4 as it inches offshore. Due to the destructive nature of storms like Dorian, and their increasing frequency while in what is referred to as “hurricane season,” nations that face these organic disasters rely heavily on structures that have been set in place ahead of time and the goodwill of others for rebuilding their cities, finding medical care for survivors, and more.


Over the weekend, helicopters from U.S. Coast Guard were evacuating injured people from the Marsh Harbour clinic on Wonderful Abaco and taking them to Nassau, the capital, for urgent care,  the Washington Post reported. Although rescue efforts were suspended immediately following the airport went underwater and the winds picked up. Celebrity chef José Andrés told the New York Times that he was in Nassau making 10,000 sandwiches for the people of the Bahamas.


“The situation is as bad as you could imagine,” Andrés instructed them Times. “Before food, they require to take care of rescue missions.”


in the event you can’t support rescue efforts or help Andrés and his team at the World Central Kitchen make 10,000 sandwiches, there really are still plenty of ways to help.


Donate.


in case if you've the means, you could donate to any one of the agencies helping to rebuild houses, clear debris, or organize volunteers like Team Rubicon Mess Response. Before the storm, they helped fill sandbags and board up windows in the Bahamas. Once it’s safe enough to go into the affected areas, they plan to clear roads for first responders and survivors. You could also donate to Andrés’ organization World Central Kitchen to support both their emergency food relief efforts in the Bahamas and other areas affected by organic disasters and their long-term programs that work to serve millions of meals every year.


The South African-based newsletter The Citizen reports that at least 61,000 people will need food aid in the aftermath of the storm. To help those who have been injured in the storm, look to the International Medical Corps, a humanitarian nonprofit that delivers healthcare services to devastated populations, particularly those affected by war, organic mess and infection. You could also donate to Save The Children, which is working with local companies to help reopen childcare and education programs that have closed due to Hurricane.


because the storm heads up the east coast, the Humane community of the United States has already begun evacuating animals to shelters across Florida. To help with their efforts, you can donate here.


“By transporting dogs and cats who were already up for adoption out of the region, we are able to improve the capacity of the threatened communities as they prepare for flooding and an anticipated influx of displaced animals,” Kate MacFall, Florida senior state director for the Humane population of the United States, said in a statement to CBS News. “A lot of those animals are big dogs with more than a few love to give, and so they'll make wonderful family member members.”


Not every business needs monetary help, though: Others are looking for goods. Bahamas Red Cross is asking people to donate any non-perishable goods, baby supplies, bedding, and cleaning items. Good 360, a Virginia-based charity, is asking for similar donations, as is BahamaStrong, a company launched by Miami Commissioner Ken Russell on Sunday, which is accepting donations at any fire station in the city of Miami. Bahamas Relief, a company supported by Florida Representative Shevrin Jones, is asking for toiletries, diapers, canned goods, cleaning supplies, tents, water, power generators, and more. Items can be dropped off at the Miami-Dade Community Emergency Operations Center. Those who are unable to travel to the center can contact the business directly.


Spread information.


Bahamas Red Cross is asking people to use the hashtag #HelpUsHelp to make awareness about those most affected by Hurricane Dorian. Although even in the event you aren’t sharing statistics directly about how you could will help people in the aftermath of the hurricane, you could talk about one of the factors that made this storm so disastrous: the climate crisis.


According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, climate change unequivocally affects hurricanes. The Atlantic Ocean has warmed about 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit every decade since the 1970s: While warmer waters have a minimal effect on the frequency of hurricanes, they do strengthen the storm, UCS reports. Additionally, the rising sea level, a consequence of the climate crisis, leads to higher and more extensive storm surges. Finally, warmer air can hold more water, which means a higher potential for heavy rainfall, UCS says.


“The environment for all such storms has changed because of climate change,” Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Climate Analysis Section, told Scientific American in an email. “The case can be readily made that all storms are affected, however each responds differently,” he added.


Vote.


whenever you can’t exactly vote out an organic mess, you could vote people into office who will work to combat the climate crisis that only adds to the problem. How you vote will also affect who is in office to prepare decisions about distributing humanitarian aid: The current administration has a less-than-stellar precedent for answering to organic disasters. Over the weekend, President Trump wrongly claimed Hurricane Dorian will hit Alabama and doubled down on the lie right after Alabama's National Weather Service attempted to quell fears. And after hurricanes devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, his administration gave inadequate resources to its own citizens, resulting in several residents going months without power, food, and water, NPR reported. Trump even failed to accurately account for the nearly 3,000 deaths that occurred on the island as a result of the storms, according to the New York Times. Check your voter registration status, and find out as soon as your next local election is set to take place.