Bahamas Chatter: “Personal Report from Bahamas” plus 1 more
Bahamas Chatter is produced by Explorer Chartbooks, A CRUISERS NET PARTNER, which has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits.
Bahamas Chatter: “Personal Report from Bahamas” plus 1 more
| Personal Report from Bahamas Posted: 11 Sep 2019 02:58 PM PDT From Fr. Keith Cartwright, Anglican Arch Deacon, Nassau In order to dispel rumours and untruths, My Priest, who just got back from Marsh Habour 6 am this morning and has been on the ground every day since from the day after storm departed gave our Church a full report on the situation in Marsh Harbour and Grand Bahama. In Marsh Harbour he said that with the exception of a few souls who are still refusing to leave what little they have, the entire affected areas have been completely evacuated. There is nothing left, he said. The stench is unbearable. There are countless medical personnel there doing an excellent job. There is a clean up team on the way from the Netherlands whose function is uncovering, containment & sanitizing of dead bodies and should be there now on the ground. There are plenty dead and unaccounted for still under debris and swept out to sea. The bodies they have recovered so far are stored in large constructed coolers run by generators. The clinic and one of the government buildings left standing have been cleaned and sanitized. They are in the process of doing the same to the building that was taken over by the Haitians. He said that the clinic and the two government buildings were the only structures not damaged, which was a testament to the builder who passed away last year. Also, the uproar about the Bahamasair charging $75 was partly true. He was present at the airport when the flight came in. It was the very first flight and was a regular scheduled flight for Bahamasair. Persons had previously purchase tickets prior to the storm and before consulting with the powers that be, made the decision to charge that fee. My Priest intervened immediately and told them that will not be happening. He got on the phone with the Prime Minister himself and explained what was going on. The Prime Minister then got in contact with the man in charge and was instructed to let that be the first & last flight they charged those people as Bahamasair was the People”s airline etc. etc. Every flight after was completely free and they went above and beyond getting the people out. There was looting and unrest, and order has now been restored. As for Freeport, there is still a lot of flooding and damage although not to the degree of Abaco. He said there are plenty dead and unaccounted for there as well. He told us stories of survivors who watched loved ones die and got swept away right before them. My head is still spinning from the horrors and grief that I can’t begin to tell you all everything, but this is what I recalled. |
| NEMA EVENING BRIEFING – SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 Posted: 11 Sep 2019 07:09 AM PDT EVACUATIONS1. There is no mandatory evacuation order for Abaco. 2. Evacuation is strictly voluntary. 3. The total number of evacuees to Nassau is approximately 3,500 so far. 4. There were a number of partners running evacuations today, including Bahamas Air, Delta Airlines, Western Air, Trans Island Air, Air Bridge and other private partners. The Bahamas Fast Ferries and private boaters also did sea evacuations. 5. The number of persons presenting themselves for evacuations is diminishing. 6. Evacuees are being processed at The Odyssey Aviation Processing Centre. We thank our private sector partners who are working with Social Services to manage this center. 7. As a reminder, all evacuations should be free of charge. The public should report any aircraft that are charging fees. Civil aviation is revoking authorizations for those aircraft. 8. The evacuation plan is to provide temporary housing in Abaco to assist those persons who wish to stay on the island. 9. Several safe spaces have been identified to clear areas for temporary housing.NOTICE ON SEARCH AND RECOVERY IN ABACO 1. NEMA and its partners have not commenced any mass scale debris cleaning in Abaco. SAFETY AND SECURITY – We are confident there is adequate coverage on both islands to address safety and security issues. SHELTERS – When evacuees arrive in Nassau they are processed at the Processing Centre at Odyssey Aviation. FOOD AND WATER SUPPLIES NEMA continues to work with local and international public and private sector entities to ensure that food and water are provided to the affected communities on Abaco and Grand Bahama. As at 5pm today September 8, 2019, arrangements have been put in place for: |
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