杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

杏MAP导航 Francis acknowledged the devastation wrecked so far by Hurricane Dorian in his greetings to journalists aboard the papal plane bound for Maputo, Mozambique, and asked everyone to pray for those affected.

鈥淭hose poor people,鈥� he said, 鈥渨ho from one day to the next have lost their homes, everything, even their lives.鈥�

Powerful hurricane

Dorian crashed into the Bahamas on Sunday evening as a Category 5 hurricane, packing sustained winds nearing 300 km/h and storm surges of 5 m over normal tide levels.

At least 7 people were killed in the Bahamas, and nearly 13,000 homes were destroyed.

Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams are able to reach flooded areas.

He called it 鈥渙ne of the greatest national crises in our country鈥檚 history.鈥�

Hurricane Dorian first slammed into the Abaco Islands with the highest-ever-recorded wind speeds at landfall. On Monday, the storm struck Grand Bahama and hovered there for 2 days, causing severe damage and flooding.

Church preparing emergency aid

Archbishop Patrick Pinder, whose jurisdiction covers the Bahamas, said the local Catholic Church is working to procure humanitarian aid to send to those suffering the effects of Dorian.

鈥淲e have a huge task ahead of us, and we are going to need a lot of help,鈥� he said.

The Archdiocese of Nassau will be collecting water, food, hygiene kits, and children鈥檚 products to distribute to those affected. 鈥淭he initial response is in itself a huge task and will require a lot of resources," said Archbishop Pinder.

He called Dorian 鈥渁 very powerful and destructive hurricane鈥�, adding that 鈥渋ts impact has been particularly direct and severe on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama.鈥�

More than 70,000 people were affected by the hurricane, said Archbishop Pinder, adding that recovery efforts 鈥渁re sure to take a long time.鈥�