Bahamas begins a titanic cleanup after the passage of Hurricane Dorian

A blue and black tie floated in a pool of water nearby and, a little further away, lay a battery. Nearby, white shells reached a grassy bush driven by the flood that a week ago dragged Saunders 200 meters (yards) until he could grab a large pine tree, where he spent two days on a branch after the passage of the hurricane Dorian around the island

"I spoke to the water: 'Calm down, stay still.' He never listened," Saunders said Wednesday with a wide smile. But it took a more serious tone when it focused on the daunting cleanup work ahead of tens of thousands of Bahamians living on the two islands in the northern Bahamas that were devastated by the Category 5 hurricane.
It will be a slow process that some approach in very small steps. Saunders recovered two hammers, five screwdrivers and three precious bibles.
On the contrary, Mary Glinton, 67, of the nearby fishing village of McLean's Town, wasted no time to get rid of her damaged possessions. He formed three piles of garments hardened by water and mud and set them on fire. A white lace curtain, a bright pink windbreaker and a pair of old black pants soon began to burn. What he regretted most is having lost his Sunday clothes.

"I love blue, and most of my dresses are blue," he said standing near the fire, wearing green flip flops and muddy legs. He also regretted the loss of the one-year-old sow he had as a pet, Princess
A preliminary report estimates that Dorian caused a total of $ 7 billion in damages, but the Bahamas government has not yet offered figures. The teams began removing some debris from Grand Bahama and Abacus, but they move slowly to avoid accidentally damaging any body left between the debris. The official death toll is 50, but Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said he expects it to increase significantly.

Around 2,500 people are declared missing after the hurricane, although the government warned that they still have to match the names with those on the evacuee lists of the devastated islands and those who remain in shelters.
On Thursday, a cluster of heavy thunderstorms heading to the Bahamas threatened to soak even more those who try to save their belongings or live in tents in some of the most affected communities. In the afternoon, the National Hurricane Center of the United States said that the system is expected to become a tropical storm in a matter of 36 hours, with the possibility that it hits the northwest of the archipelago with strong winds and rains.
Meanwhile, USAID officials said they will distribute plastic sheets in anticipation of the storm.
Although the cleaning continues, the first signs of normality could be seen in Freeport, a city in Grand Bahama operated by a private company that offers public services and charges residents without government intervention. The lights began to flash in some neighborhoods, and operators repaired transformers in other areas.
Among those who celebrated the return of electricity was Clifton Williams, driver of a rental car company that was driving back to his home when he saw a lamppost illuminated for the first time since the hurricane.

"I didn't expect it so soon," he said. "The first thing I did was put the fan on and cool off," he added, noting that he slept well for the first time in more than a week thanks to the fan.
But the small villages that dot the east coast of Grand Bahama have barely received help. Some residents request daily travel from Freeport to their shattered houses to classify their belongings and clean them.
Tereha Davis, a 45-year-old fisherwoman, said that one day she had no one to go with and ended up walking almost 13 kilometers (8 miles) under a scorching sun. Davis prepared lots with the things she recovered until she can find someone to take her back to Freeport with all her possessions. On Wednesday, during a break in cleaning, I was walking through McLean's Town with bright purple surgical gloves looking for a sweet drink that would give it energy. He found nothing.
Like others, he said he has not seen any government official and that he only received food and water from some NGOs.
The prime minister acknowledged the situation in a televised speech Wednesday night.
"There have been problems in coordinating this aid because of the magnitude of the devastation," said Minnis, adding that he understands the deep frustration of those dealing with "bureaucratic obstacles" and promised to reduce bureaucracy and bring more help and personal.

"There are not enough words to describe this tragedy," Minnis said. "No Bahamian has seen anything similar in his life."
While waiting for the arrival of more help, people in the Grand Bahama began to clean by throwing mattresses, tearing off tiles and taking off the fallen branches and power lines, while standing by the walls torn down by Dorian.
At his church in Beulah Land Ministries, Saunders, 61, was preparing to open a small area to receive groups of missionaries when the hurricane arrived. He was standing there now, surrounded by the gleaming white toilets and toilets, lots of bright brown tiles and the soaked rolls of purple carpet.
"I am going to rebuild it," he declared among the ruins of his church. The only thing that remained intact was the wooden crucifix that had been nailed to a wall 22 years ago.