The Category 5 Hurricane Dorian made landfall over the northwest Bahamas on September 1st. The hurricane is the strongest in the history of the Bahamas.
The storm damaged infrastructure and caused massive flooding on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. 43 people were killed and over 76,000 people were affected by the storm. With the damage so extensive, people in the Bahamas were in immediate need of clean water, food and shelter items.
CATEGORY 5 STORM
76,000 PEOPLE AFFECTED
200 MPH WINDS
Immediately following the storm, GlobalMedic deployed our Rapid Response Team with water purification units and the RescUAV Team with drones to provide on the ground assistance. We were able to distribute the following aid to communities in Grand Bahama, Abaco and Nassau:
- 6 large-scale water purification systems
- 4,700+ Family Emergency Kits which contained a household water purification solution, essential hygiene items, oral rehydration salts and solar lights.
- 10,600+ Emergency Food Kits filled with staple ingredients
- 7 large tents that were used for clinics, storage, animal shelters, and child friendly spaces
- 300 kg dog food
- Assorted building materials and tools, cooking items, air mattresses
- Assisted with installation of solar panel in Sweetings Cay to power an AquaBoy Pro II water system
- Our RescUAV team mapped over 4,500 hectares and took 44,000 pictures in Grand Bahama and over 1,000 hectares and 8,900 images in Abaco which were shared with local officials to help them better assess damage.
With the rush of storm surges, many houses were filled with water, damaging the drywall and structure of the house, allowing dangerous mold to grow. GlobalMedic supported the creation of the “Mold Busters” mold remediation consortium, bringing together local entities, Town & Country and the Rotary of Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Committee, to streamline the rebuilding process and create jobs. Through this program GlobalMedic was able to fully remediate 260 homes and create more than 45 jobs.
Fishing is the primary career for many Bahamians on Grand Bahama. Fishing is often the only source of income for families in the eastern region of the island. With the destruction of infrastructure on the island so severe, many could not afford to repair the boats as well as their homes. GlobalMedic hired a local contractor to provide boat repair for these fishermen. We provided all the fibreglass and additional materials through a partnership with Composites Canada. A Composites Canada staff member was also sent to Grand Bahama to fully train the local contractor on the use of the materials sent. GlobalMedic has fully repaired the hulls of 111 boats and 5 jobs have been created.
