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Hurricane Dorian has killed at least five people in the Bahamas, where many homes are submerged by water while evacuations are underway in the southeastern United States, led by Florida.
The hurricane, which was downgraded from category 5 to 4 and then from 4 to 3, remains nevertheless " extremely dangerous " with winds of about 205 km / h. It is currently standing over Grand Bahama Island and is progressing very slowly, said the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
It is expected to remain a good part of Tuesday with torrential rains and " catastrophic " winds, according to NHC forecasts. The inhabitants were instructed not to move from their shelter. The authorities announced the start of relief operations " where conditions permit ".
On the United States coast, several southeastern states (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina) have finally ordered the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents. Its trajectory remains uncertain, but according to forecasts, Dorian should be close to the coast of Florida in the coming days
Uncertainty and caution
Expatriate French, Xavier Rancoule is installed with his family in Miami. Although the city is not on the path, it has made arrangements at the request of the authorities. " We were asked to make essentially water supplies, food, and then refill the gas tanks of the cars, which we did. Moreover, since Thursday evening, the service stations around us are almost empty, closed. Many stores have been stormed. "
" There's a bit of a frenzy that the locals are trying to calm down too, saying the risk may not be that high," he says. But everyone is getting ready. There is a certain discipline in the air around the preparations, since it is constantly repeated by the media here that the trajectory of the hurricane, its destination, remain very uncertain. We are waiting for our turn north, but it's still quite uncertain. There is some uncertainty that everyone is on guard .
Preparation
Xavier Rancoule also points to the " high degree of organization " of the authorities and society to face the threat. Whether it is public services, the media or employers, he stresses that all actors are on the alert.
" For example, we receive school messages almost every 24 hours to keep us informed whether the school will be open or closed. We know that Tuesday schools will be closed. We also receive messages from the access providers who have lifted all the prohibitions that allow all their users to use all the networks, without limits. Then television obviously relays this information permanently. Employers also communicate a lot. Many of them allowed their employees on Friday to stay at home to get ready. And many offices will remain closed on Tuesday. Employees are encouraged to work from home. There are informal networks that are quickly put in place : WhatsApp and other applications allow us to quickly be in touch with other school parents or with other French community here in Miami .