Monthly Program Update - Bahamas (October 2019)

BAHAMAS HURRICANE RELIEF UPDATE OCTOBER 2019

HURRICANE DORIAN’S IMPACT

10,000 STUDENTS AFFECTED 76,000 TOTAL PEOPLE AFFECTED 90% OF HOUSING & INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED IN SOME AREAS

Current Situation After a month of dedicated hard work across our teams on the ground and around the world, All Hands and Hearts - Smart Response is pleased to announce the official commencement of our Bahamas Hurricane Dorian Response Program, which opened in Great Abaco on October 1, 2019.

Support from the network of local stakeholders has resulted in our team’s expedient establishment of a base and logistical capacity.

Our integrative presence in Abaco and Nassau with government agencies, local and international NGOs, and the private business community has set a foundation for our work to contribute to a holistic recovery in The Bahamas over the coming years.

Program staff have been hard at work getting the base in Marsh Harbour ready for volunteers, ensuring strong safety systems, and training incoming Team Leaders on scopes of work. As work begins at our first project sites, the team will focus efforts on identifying the highest levels of need to fill our work queue and mobilizing a positive volunteer presence accordingly.

At this stage, the work queue will concentrate on mucking and gutting, debris removal and mold sanitation. There is also a high potential to engage in minor and critical repairs to other community infrastructure, including a special needs school, Every Child Counts. See here for a short video.

Volunteer Voices "The devastation here in Abaco is far greater than I could have imagined, but the energy and passion the staff and volunteers bring everyday is absolutely incredible. It's infectious and I'm thankful I made the decision to come be apart of this."

Learn about us at:

allhandsandhearts.org

Disaster Profile On September 1st, Dorian made landfall as a category 5 hurricane in The Bahamas with wind speeds in excess of 185mph, lashing the Bahamian islands of Great Abaco (pop. ~17,200) and Grand Bahama (pop. ~51,000). After striking The Bahamas, Dorian’s travelling speed slowed to 1 mph over Grand Bahama, prolonging the island’s exposure to life-threatening storm surge of 18-23 feet above normal tide levels. Over 76,000 people have been affected and an estimated 15,000 people are in need of humanitarian aid.

Dorian is the strongest hurricane on record for The Bahamas and has tied a record for the strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall.

Our Work With immense support from both our local and global partners, we are in a position to fulfill our mission of arriving early and staying late in The Bahamas. We are committed to performing continuous work for the next two years, from immediate response capacity in some of the hardest-hit areas, to identifying specific schools and other community infrastructure (e.g. health clinics) to focus on during both our long-term recovery programs.

About All Hands and Hearts We effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure.

We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator six years in a row and a Perfect 100. Less than one percent of rated non-profits have received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency.

Our Partners in the Bahamas

info@allhandsandhearts.org (508) 758-8211