At least one person died during the passage of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, announced Monday, September 2, the government of the Caribbean archipelago, where many homes were submerged by the waters, while evacuations were still ongoing in the southeastern United States, especially Florida, where Dorian is expected.

The hurricane, which has been downgraded from category 5 to 4 but remains "extremely dangerous", is above the island of Grand Bahama (north-west) and is progressing very slowly, said the National Hurricane Center (NHC). ).

Flooded streets, rooftops washed, trees uprooted: the first images gave an idea of ​​the violence of the current storm. The Ministry of Tourism confirmed a death in the Abacos Islands, noting that relief operations had begun "where conditions permit".

"I have friends who lost their homes three years ago and are traumatized," told AFP Yasmin Rigby, a resident of Freeport, Grand Bahama. "This memory and the fact that the hurricane is virtually at a standstill is an additional source of concern."

"People who thought they were safe are now asking for help (...) My best friend's husband is stuck on his roof", surrounded by water, she said.

"Considerable" damage

Hubert Minnis, prime minister of this Caribbean archipelago of some 700 islands (about thirty of which are inhabited), spoke of "unprecedented" damage following torrential rains and high winds.

But if the NHC predicts a "gradual weakening," he warns that Dorian should remain "a powerful hurricane in the next two days."

According to early rapid assessments on Monday, authorities and Red Cross officials in the field, some 13,000 houses may have been damaged or destroyed and the hurricane caused "considerable damage" in the Abacos and Grand Bahama.

On the United States coast, after days of uncertainty about the hurricane, several Southeast states (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina) have finally ordered the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents.

According to the American Red Cross, 19 million people live in areas that could be affected. Up to 50,000 people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina may need emergency shelter depending on the impact.

"Leave NOW"

The NHC estimates that the hurricane will be "dangerously close" to the Florida coast on the night of Monday 2 to Tuesday 3 September, but it remains difficult to gauge how the "Sunshine State" will be affected.

"If you're in an evacuation zone, leave NOW," said Florida Governor Rick Scott. "We can rebuild your homes, we can not rebuild your life."

In Washington, President Donald Trump brought together emergency service officials, citing a hurricane that "seems monstrous". "We expect a lot of the coastline to be impacted and some of it will be very, very hard," he said.

In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency and ordered the evacuation of the state's coast, a measure affecting about 800,000 people.

Compulsory evacuation has also been ordered for the coastal areas of Palm Beach and Martin counties in Florida and for six coastal counties in Georgia.

Florida, mostly a peninsula, is on the front line of the hurricane season every year.

With AFP