5 people have died in Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian, prime minister says

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis says at least five people have died in the Abaco Islands as Hurricane Dorian continues to pound the region as a Category 4 storm.

Minnis said Monday that there are also people in nearby Great Bahama island who are in serious distress. He said rescue crews will respond to calls for help as soon as weather conditions allow.

He said many homes and buildings have been severely damaged or destroyed.

“We are in the midst of a historic tragedy,” he said.

The storm remained stationary over Grand Bahama late Monday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph.

On Sunday, Dorian blasted the Bahamas with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts up to 220 mph, tying the record for the most powerful Atlantic hurricane to ever make landfall.

The center said Dorian is expected to move “dangerously close” to the Florida east coast late Monday through Wednesday evening and then move north to coastal Georgia and South Carolina on Wednesday night and Thursday.

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