Hurricane Dorian left its destructive mark on the Bahamas one year ago
Over Labor Day weekend in 2019, the Bahamas was forever changed.
Hurricane Dorian produced sustained winds at 185 miles per hour, the second strongest in recorded history. When it made landfall over the Abaco Islands, it become the strongest storm to ever hit the islands. It was also the first category five storm to make landfall over Grand Bahama Island.
Just as the recovery efforts after the storm began to take big steps, the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt on the entire world. Before then, commercial flights from Marsh Harbour, the area hit hardest by the storm, were beginning to fly out on a regular basis, kids found a way back into the classroom, and small towns began to see their power restored.
Travel restrictions prevented volunteers, like those from the Treasure Coast, from coming in and out of the islands to provide foreign relief. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the industry accounts for about 50% of the county's economy. CBS12 News spoke to the Minister of Tourism in June on how soon the islands could re-open.
According to Nassau based paper The Tribune, prime Minister Hubert Minnis says the clean up process in the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Dorian is almost complete.
The name "Dorian" is still not retired by the World Meteorological Organization's hurricane committee. While Dorian was a destructive storm, the annual meeting where the committee would vote to retire names did not happen this year due to COVID-19. They plan to meet Spring 2021 to discuss the 2019 and 2020 storms.
