Haitian Immigrants
Living in Bahamas Hit
Hard by Hurricane Floyd

Coastal residents along Hurricane Floyd’s path in the United States received their share of suffering. So did the 2,000 people left homeless in the Bahamas. The monstrous hurricane reached the Bahamas packing 150-mph winds—just short of Category 5 status. And as evacuated residents return, a war zone of flattened ruins, twisted utility poles, and flooded streets confronts them.

Floyd was one of the strongest—and biggest—Atlantic hurricanes in recent history when it hit the Bahamas.
Floyd appeared to wreak the most havoc on the cluster of islands in the northeastern part of the Bahamian chain, swamping low-lying tourist haunts, sweeping the village of Crossing Rock on Abaco out to sea with its massive surge, and nearly slashing tiny Elbow Cay in two with its horrendous winds and waves.

The storm devastated New Providence’s vulnerable population of Haitian immigrants, who live in shanties off back roads throughout the island. Floyd obliterated their fragile homes of cast-off wood, windows and doors, and flooded their farms.

“My whole farm is gone, everything is gone,” one Haitian told The Nassau Tribune.

Several people were treated for minor injuries, mostly from being hit by flying objects. Storm surges whipped up by 190-mph wind gusts flooded entire neighborhoods on Abaco. In Marsh Harbor, the main town in Abaco, wooden homes were flattened, left only partially standing or turned to their sides. On northern Eleuthera Island, where winds reached 110 mph Tuesday, many homes were without roofs and boats were tossed onto the shore.

This information was compiled from newspaper and news service reports.

Message From Bishop vonRosenberg Regarding Hurricane Relief for Bahamas

I am grateful to the Very Reverend John Ross, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew’s Chapter at St. John’s Cathedral, and others there who have provided leadership in response to the crisis in the Bahamas following Hurricane Floyd. Previously, I had been in touch with church leaders there regarding a possible long-term relationship between our Dioceses. However, the current crisis calls us to respond more quickly than any official relationship can be established. Nevertheless, the needs are quite real, and we intend to respond with a sense of Christian charity, which is far more compelling after all. I, therefore, urgently request your prayers and your response to the needs listed.

Dean Ross and members of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew at St. John’s Cathedral have received reports of extensive damage to Abaco Island. Houses and roads have been destroyed, and the water supply has been contaminated. The main road on Abaco Island was washed out, which will make relief efforts even more difficult. The Brotherhood of St. Andrew members are making arrangements to get food, water, basic medical supplies and building materials to relief workers in the Bahamas. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please send monetary donations to Mary Berl with checks made payable to the Diocese of East Tennessee. Checks should be annotated “ Bahamian Relief.”

Gratefully yours,
Bishop vonRosenberg