Hurricane Dorian made landfall nearly two years ago and the scars are still visible across the Abacos: Endless fields of trees sheared in half and missing their tops. Twisted and mangled steal. Boats nowhere near the ocean. Telephone poles snapped like twigs. Homes without roofs or walls or empty lots where homes once stood.
It’s almost two years later and there’s still so much recovery left for the Abacos.
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Wendell Grant with the Bahamas’ Disaster Reconstruction Authority wants people to know that there is still a lot of work to do and that donations are still needed so that the recovery can continue.
"We are still very much in the reconstruction phase and trying to bring back Abaco to its original glory," Grant said.
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Dorian was the biggest storm to ever hit the Bahamas, but the island was dealt another blow just as the recovery began -- COVID-19.
Once the pandemic began, the groups that were helping rebuild left the islands and recovery came to a halt.
"All the NGOs that were here, all the aid groups that were here had to leave," said Ken Hutton of the Abaco Chamber of Commerce. "So a lot of that help and reconstruction and rebuilding stopped dead in the water."
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But there’s plenty of encouraging news. While images of destruction are everywhere, images of construction bring hope.
"Absolutely the Abaco and Grand Bahama will get back to normal," Grant said. "What's still needed is more support, more reconstruction and more assistance. The number one thing people can do is to donate funds to the DRA and the cause that we have."
Click here to learn more about and donate to the Disaster Reconstruction Authority.
