Hurricane Dennis and general hurricane information for the Abacos

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Hurricane Floyd Information - PALM BEACH POST ARTICLE #1
|| HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORTS || FLOYD REPORTS || DENNIS REPORTS || WEBMASTER NOTE ||
|| FOUR SUN-SENTINEL NEWSPAPER ARTICLES - MARSH HARBOUR || #1 || #2 || #3 || #4 ||
|| FLOYD SATELLITE PIX ||

FOR INFORMATION ON DONATIONS and ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
FOR BAHAMAS RELIEF EFFORT ORGANIZATION, APPROVED AIRPORTS and TARIFF EXEMPTION INFORMATION, PLEASE CLICK HERE

VISIT THE PALM BEACH POST AT http://www.gopbi.com

(Palm Beach, Florida)
County firefighters to lead Bahamas relief
By Dan Moffett, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 23, 1999

The Bahamian government has asked Palm Beach County to help direct relief efforts for the Abaco islands, where damage from Hurricane Floyd may be much greater than first believed. Wednesday, a team of five county firefighters flew to Marsh Harbour with a load of supplies and orders to assess the damage.

Dozens more firefighters are expected to fly to the Abacos in the next week. All are volunteers, working on their vacation time, with no cost to the county.

"The northern and southern extremes of the Abacos sustained catastrophic damage," said county Fire-Rescue Lt. Wayne Hinnant. "There are residential areas that are literally uninhabitable. For a lot of people, little or no help has come in the week since the hurricane." The county is also letting a group of Bahamian government workers and local volunteers use its Emergency Operations Center in West Palm Beach.

Scott Lewis, a West Palm Beach landscape architect and former county firefighter, was called by the Bahamian government last week and asked to coordinate relief operations -- assessing damage and organizing the distribution of water, food and construction materials. Lewis set up an Abaco Relief Command center in Marsh Harbour.

"I don't know another place in history that's been hit by two Category 3-plus hurricanes and a tropical storm in a four-week period," Lewis said.

"The major need right now is for construction supplies -- especially roofing materials so that people can make their homes livable."

Bahamas customs officials are working with Lewis to ensure that donations are brought into the country without duty charges. Most phone lines in the Abacos remain down, as are most power lines.

Hurricane Dennis hit the Abacos before Floyd, then Tuesday Tropical Storm Harvey drenched the islands with more rain.

Robert Sweeting, who represents the Abacos in the Bahamian Parliament, said government damage estimates are between $750 million and $1 billion. "I think we're still a ways from understanding the full scope of the problem," Sweeting said. "We are delighted that Palm Beach County and its firefighters are willing to help."

County Commissioner Warren Newell said the county responded quickly when the Bahamas asked for more help. "We have had a very close relationship with the Abacos over the years," Newell said. "They are important to our economy. We've done a lot of business with the people there and made a lot of friends."

Armand Nault, spokesman for the Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Union, said about 150 of the group's 1,000 members in the county are expected to volunteer to help here or in the Bahamas. "We went down to Dade and worked six weeks during Hurricane Andrew," Nault said. "This could be about as long."

Portable radios, generators, chain saws and canned goods are needed and can be dropped off at the South Florida Fairgrounds. For information on donations, call 561-712-6351. Checks should be made payable to the Hurricane Floyd Bahamas Relief Fund and sent to 2328 S. Congress Ave., Suite 2B, West Palm Beach 33406.