Hurricane Dorian completely stalled on the Bahamas, causing “extreme destruction”. The hurricane continued to pound the Grand Bahama Island on Tuesday, after being stationary for almost 18 hours, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The horrifying storm has lashed Bahamian islands with hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and storm surges, killing at least five people.
More than 13,000 homes have been severely damaged by floodwater and rescue operators tried to reach stranded residents, many trapped on roofs.
Hurricane Dorian smashed into the Bahamas on Sunday as a Category 5 hurricane, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record.
It has since weakened to a Category 3 hurricane, but is still battering the Grand Bahama Island with winds of 120mph.
At least five people have been killed in the Abaco Islands, in the northern Bahamas.
READ MORE: Hurricane Dorian: Eerie NOAA aerial photos show calm of storm’s eye
The country’s prime minister, Hubert Minnis, said on Monday: “We are in the midst of a historic tragedy in parts of our northern Bahamas.
“Our mission and focus now is search, rescue and recovery.”
Abaco and the Grand Bahama are home to approximately 70,000 people.
Bahamian officials said they received a “tremendous” number of calls from people in flooded homes, unable to escape.
READ MORE: Hurricane Dorian update: Where is Hurricane Dorian right now?
Terrifying videos have shown a group of people swimming through rain Bahamas floodwaters as the eye of Dorian passed.
They eventually managed to get out of the water with help of a rope and people on land.
Another dramatic video showed ferocious winds hovering the Grand Bahama Island as cars were swallowed by waist-deep water.
Dorian’s conditions were amplified when the storm stalled directly over Grand Bahama, crawling across the island at a speed of just 1mph.
A deeply upset Mr Minnis said: “The devastation is unprecedented and extensive.”
Extensive flooding was believed to have contaminated many wells with salt water, creating an urgent need for clean water.
The death toll is likely to climb as a photo posted by a local newspaper showed bodies being loaded onto a truck.
Hurricane Dorian is now approaching the US east coast, which could be battered by life-threatening winds and dangerous storm surge.
There are currently 25 million people in the projected path of the deadly storm.
Coastal communities from Florida up through South Carolina have been ordered to evacuate.