Featured Image: The Atlantic
Charleston geared up for Hurricane Dorian this week, luckily much of the Holy City was left largely unharmed despite the hundreds of thousands of power outages. Sadly, the northern Bahamas were not as lucky and suffered the largest impact from the hurricane as the storm was at a category 5 level when it struck the islands. The official death toll is 43 and continues to rise as rescue workers reach more areas. The United Nations believe almost 70,000 are left homeless on Abaca and Grand Bahamas, the areas which took the grunt of the impact, due to the damage. Follow CNN’s live updates here.
Northeast South Carolina and North Carolina were impacted as well as flooding and tornadoes have hit the region. Outer Banks residents’ homes flooded, leaving hundreds trapped by high water. Ocracoke Island, in the Outer Banks, suffered catastrophic flooding, described by residents as levels they had never seen. The island is only accessible by boat and air, but Governor Roy Cooper said medical and search and rescue teams were on the way. Here are just a few of the ways you can donate and help the Bahamas as well as the impacted communities in the Carolinas:
- The Bahamas Disaster Relief Fund, set up by the Bahamian government, is accepting wire transfers. Find instructions here.
- The American Red Cross is accepting donations by phone (800-435-7669) or online.
- The Salvation Army is accepting money for relief both in the Bahamas and here in the United States
- The Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation, established by the Grand Bahama Port Authority, is accepting donations and supplies.
Find more organizations working to aid in the rescue work in the Bahamas and the United States, accepting donations here.
The Charleston region was impacted by the hurricane as well with trees, powerlines and even traffic lights downed across the Lowcountry. Take a look at some pictures of the impacts the storm left on Charleston:
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Praying for #Charleston! ? (?s by @tonybartelme and @bymatthewfortner | The Post and Courier)