Hurricane Dorian slammed into the Bahamas in early September as a Category 5 hurricane. With winds of 220mph (354kmph) and storm surges up to 23 feet, this was a storm of such severity the world has rarely seen. At least 50 people have been confirmed dead, but hundreds remain unaccounted for, and more than 70,000 people remain in desperate need of humanitarian aid.
WARNING: Graphic image below which may upset some readers.
The outer bands of the storm continued to wreak havoc across the US east coast, with the Carolinas receiving a deluge a rain and storm surge.
While the human cost of a storm like this is great, the toll on animals is often forgotten.
This week, a heartbreaking story emerged from North Carolina of 28 wild horses which were swept away in a “mini tsunami” caused by the hurricane.
Reported in the Charlotte Observer, the horses were said to have been swept away by floodwaters on Cedar Island on the Pamlico Sound September 6.
Their bodies began washing up on nearby beaches, the paper reported.
Herd manager Woody Hancock said: “It was a mini tsunami.
“The horses normally see the water start to rise in a storm and migrate to higher ground, but they just didn’t have time.
“The shift in the wind happened too fast and they were taken off guard and washed off the island.”
WARNING: Graphic image below which may upset some readers.
He said the tragedy had an impact on the whole community.
“This has really affected everybody on the island,” he said.
“All the horses were named after local people on the island and so every family felt a connection to the herd.”
The 28 horses make up more than half of the island’s 49-horse herd, and roam freely on 1,000 acres of private land on the island.
While some of the surviving horses managed to swim to nearby islands, some were never found.
Mr Hancock said: “It wasn’t like a normal hurricane.
“Areas that normally flood didn’t see flooding, and spots that never get it were devastated.”
The horses “didn’t have a chance”, he said.
If you’d like to get involved with the Hurricane Dorian relief efforts, head HERE.