CATASTROPHIC

Hurricane Dorian Death Toll Rises to Seven in Bahamas, Prime Minister Says

“The devastation is unprecedented and extensive,” said Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis.

Hurricane Dorian has killed at least seven people and injured at least 25 in the Bahamas, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said Tuesday, CNN reports. Earlier, Minnis said the storm had caused “unprecedented and extensive” damage, calling Dorian a “historic tragedy.”

Bahamians on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama were stranded, as water flooded into attics and onto the second floors of homes and businesses. Six feet of water filled the Grand Bahama airport. The hurricane was downgraded to a Category 2 storm after it stalled over the islands on Tuesday, which have a combined population of about 70,000 people and reach a maximum of 40 feet above sea level.

“It is scary,” said Minnis, noting that people were forced to relocate from shelter to shelter as floodwaters kept rising. “We’re definitely in dire straits.” In a statement on Tuesday, Queen Elizabeth, as The Queen of the Bahamas, said that she and Prince Philip were “shocked and saddened to learn of the devastation” and that they sent “sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives.”