Hurricane Dorian, the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the Bahamas, made landfall as a Category 5 storm on Tuesday, devastating the island over the course of two days.  Roads are flooded out and the flood waters have risen up to the second floor of many buildings. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis has called Dorian “a historic tragedy with unprecedented and extensive devastation.”

The hurricane battered individual homes as well as hospitals and businesses on Grand Bahama and Abaco islands.  At their highest point, the islands are no more than 40 feet above sea level.  Even the Grand Bahama airport was submerged under six feet of flooding.  There is mass looting going on and 90% of buildings are uninhabitable.  Martial law and military assistance are needed to help restore order in the chaos.

MercyWorks will be sending a ministry team led by YWAM Tyler staff member Brian Russell as soon as it is safe to do so.  Russell comes from Nassau and has family in Freeport and Abaco in the affected areas.  He is returning to the Bahamas as part of our initial response to Hurricane Dorian and will help assess plans for long-term development work.  MercyWorks teams will likely be involved in several areas, among them prayer and bringing comfort, helping with the distribution of food and water, attending to the medical needs of the people, and the repair and reconstruction of demolished homes.

We are inviting YOU to join us in this response! If you are interested in joining us in our Bahamas recovery efforts, let us know.  If you can’t go but would like to help send much needed supplies, click here.

God calls us to have compassion for those struggling from catastrophic loss and in need of encouragement and practical expressions of His love.  Thanks so much for helping care for people in need.