Hurricane Durian on Monday devastated the Bahamas with heavy rains and winds of up to 300 kilometers per hour, at an unprecedented level in the archipelago´s history. Caribbean.
The hurricane continues on its path to the United States, where authorities have ordered a preventive evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in coastal areas.
There were no direct indications of victims in the Bahamas.
Durian, who reached the category 5 and described by the US National Hurricane Center as "catastrophic," hit Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands northwest of the Bahamas archipelago of about 700 islands. Before retreating to the fourth category and continue moving west at speeds up to miles per hour.
According to the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Durian was just as strong as the strongest hurricane that struck the Atlantic in 1935. Photos posted on social media showed severe damage.
"We are facing a hurricane ... the Bahamas have never seen it before," declared Hubert Menes, the prime minister of the country between Florida, Cuba and Haiti. "This is probably the saddest day of my life."
"Our focus now is on rescue, recovery and prayers."
Videos posted on the website of the local newspaper Tribune 242 showed huge waves reaching up to the roofs of wooden houses. Inverted boats appeared floating on muddy water amid tree branches, wooden planks and debris.
On the US shores, authorities in several southeastern states (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina) ordered the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people after days of uncertainty about the course of the hurricane.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Dorian is "dangerously close" to Monday night´s arrival at Florida beach.
At 5am on Monday, the cyclone´s eye was located 60 kilometers from Freeport on the Great Bahama Island and was advancing lightly westward, the National Hurricane Center said, urging residents to remain in hiding.
"Do not get out of your shelters while crossing the eye of the cyclone, because the wind will intensify rapidly from the opposite side," the center warned residents.
"People who think they are safe are now calling for help," said Yasmine Rigby, who was contacted via text message in the Bahamas main city.
"The husband of my closest girl friend is stuck on the roof of their house and the water under it is 7 feet," she said.
In a preliminary assessment of damage by authorities and Red Cross officials on the ground, some 13,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed and the hurricane left "severe damage" on the major islands of Abaco and Bahamas.
"We do not yet have a full picture of what happened, but it is clear that the impact of Hurricane Dorian is catastrophic," Sun Palo, director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva, told a statement.
The EU has disbursed 230,000 euros from its emergency fund for initial relief operations.
According to the director of the National Hurricane Center, Ken Graham, the Bahamas will be subject to strong winds and heavy rains left by the hurricane for the next 30 hours.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump brought emergency officials together, pointing to a hurricane that "looks very huge."
"We expect large parts of the coast to be affected by the hurricane and other parts will be severely affected," Trump said.
After the Bahamas, the hurricane is heading for the United States, but it is difficult to predict how strong it will hit Florida.
According to the American Red Cross, 19 million people live in areas affected by the hurricane, while up to 50,000 people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina may need emergency shelters.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency in the state on Sunday. "The strength of the hurricane and the difficulty of predicting its movements force us to prepare for all scenarios," he said.
The governor ordered a mandatory evacuation of the state´s coasts, a measure affecting some 800,000 people.
A state of emergency was also declared in Florida and 12 counties of Georgia. This allows for better mobilization of emergency services and, if necessary, assistance from federal authorities.
Authorities also ordered a mandatory evacuation in coastal areas of Palm Beach and Martin counties in Florida and in six counties in Georgia.
The largest part of Florida is a peninsula, which finds itself every year in the first row during the hurricane season.
"If you are in an evacuation area, get out now," Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Twitter. "We can rebuild your homes (but we can´t rebuild your lives."
According to a relief coordinator, 12,000 military personnel are currently deployed in Florida in preparation for the hurricane.
