‘We need help’: Rescuers in Bahamas face a blasted landscape

Volunteers rescue a woman in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Tuesday Sept. 3, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa) Volunteers rescue a woman in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Tuesday Sept. 3, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

By Associated Press September 4, 2019 5 min read

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Hurricane Dorian

A Bahamas coroners team carries a body out of The Mudd neighborhood in the Marsh Harbor area of Abaco Island in the Bahamas in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. Dorian, the most powerful hurricane in the northwestern Bahamas' recorded history, has killed at least 44 people in Bahamas as of Sunday, Sept. 8, according to the government. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian is seen from the air, in Marsh Harbor, Abaco Island, Bahamas, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. The Bahamian health ministry said helicopters and boats are on the way to help people in affected areas, though officials warned of delays because of severe flooding and limited access. (AP Photo/Gonzalo Gaudenzi)

Royal Bahamas Defense Forces and Royal Bahamas Police help evacuees move to an awaiting ferry boat at Marsh Harbour Port in Abaco on Friday, September 6, 2019

Residents of the Boardwalk RV Park discuss the path of a possible waterspout or tornado, generated by Hurricane Dorian, struck the area, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, in Emerald Isle, N.C. (Julia Wall/The News & Observer via AP)

A woman reacts while looks her house destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in the town of High Rock, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Friday Sept. 6, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

People wait in Marsh Harbour Port to be evacuated to Nassau, in Abaco, Bahamas, Friday.

George Bolter, left, and his parents walk through the remains of his home destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in the Pine Bay neighborhood of Freeport, Bahamas, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. Rescuers trying to reach drenched and stunned victims in the Bahamas fanned out across a blasted landscape of smashed and flooded homes Wednesday, while disaster relief organizations rushed to bring in food and medicine. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A woman look in te remains of her house destroyed by Hurricane Dorian searching for her relatives in the town of High Rock, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Friday Sept. 6, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

A man cries after discovering his shattered house and not knowing anything about his 8 relatives who lived in the house, missing in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, in High Rock, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Thursday Sept. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

The extensive damage and destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian is seen in The Mudd, Great Abaco, Bahamas, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The Mudd was built by thousands of Haitian migrants over decades. It was razed in a matter of hours by Dorian, which reduced it to piles of splintered plywood and two-by-fours 4 and 5 feet deep, spread over an area equal to several football fields. (AP Photo/Gonzalo Gaudenzi)

A man cries after discovering his shattered house and not knowing anything about his 8 relatives who lived in the house missing after Hurricane Dorian in High Rock, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Thursday Sept. 5, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

Rains and wind pelt Charleston, S.C., early on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, as Hurricane Dorian enters the area. Hurricane Dorian has begun raking the Southeast U.S. seaboard, threatening to inundate low-lying coasts from Georgia to southwest Virginia with a dangerous storm surge after its deadly mauling of the Bahamas. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

A car lays among debris from homes flattened by Hurricane Dorian in an area called "The Mud" at Marsh Harbour in Great Abaco Island, Bahamas on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald via AP)

A house destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in the town of High Rock, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Thursday Sept. 5, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

Waves pound the Bogue Inlet Fishing Pier in Emerald Isle, N.C.,as Hurricane Dorian moves north off the coast. (Julia Wall/The News & Observer via AP)

People wait in Marsh Harbour Port to be evacuated to Nassau, in Abaco, Bahamas, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. The evacuation is slow and there is frustration for some who said they had nowhere to go after the Hurricane Dorian splintered whole neighborhoods. (AP Photo/Gonzalo Gaudenzi)

This aerial photo provided by Medic Corps, shows the destruction brought by Hurricane Dorian on Man-o-War cay, Bahamas, Tuesday, Sept.3, 2019. Relief officials reported scenes of utter ruin in parts of the Bahamas and rushed to deal with an unfolding humanitarian crisis in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, the most powerful storm on record ever to hit the islands. (Medic Corps via AP)

A man rides his bike amid the wreckage of Hurricane Dorian in Marsh Harbor, Abaco Island, Bahamas, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. The Bahamian health ministry said helicopters and boats are on the way to help people in affected areas, though officials warned of delays because of severe flooding and limited access. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Residents an area destroyed by Hurricane Dorian ask for food and water from rescue volunteers in Marsh Harbor, Abaco Island, Bahamas, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. The Bahamian health ministry said helicopters and boats are on the way to help people in affected areas, though officials warned of delays because of severe flooding and limited access. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

A tornado touched down in the The Farm at Brunswick County in Carolina Shores, N.C. on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, damaging homes ahead of Hurricane Dorian's arrival. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

Volunteers walk under the wind and rain from Hurricane Dorian through a flooded road as they work to rescue families near the Causarina bridge in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. The storm's punishing winds and muddy brown floodwaters devastated thousands of homes, crippled hospitals and trapped people in attics. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Volunteers handout food and water to the survivors of Hurricane Dorian in Marsh Harbor, Abaco Island, Bahamas, Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. The Bahamian health ministry said helicopters and boats are on the way to help people in affected areas, though officials warned of delays because of severe flooding and limited access. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Waves crash in front of an American flag that is planted on a jetty during a high surf from the Atlantic Ocean, in advance of the potential arrival of Hurricane Dorian, in Vero Beach, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2019. Dorian is currently a category 5 hurricane and is moving slowly through the Bahamas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

This GOES-16 satellite image taken Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at 17:20 UTC and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows Hurricane Dorian, right, moving over open waters in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters are now saying Dorian could be a Category 4 with winds of nearly 140 mph (225 kph) when it is forecasted to hit Florida late Monday or early Tuesday. It’s also imperiling the Bahamas, where the storm is expected to hit by Sunday. (NOAA via AP)

Julia Aylen wades through waist deep water carrying her pet dog as she is rescued from her flooded home during Hurricane Dorian in Freeport, Bahamas, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. Practically parking over the Bahamas for a day and a half, Dorian pounded away at the islands Tuesday in a watery onslaught that devastated thousands of homes, trapped people in attics and crippled hospitals. (AP Photo/Tim Aylen)

Rain brought on by Hurricane Dorian continues to pour in Freeport, Bahamas, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. Practically parking over the Bahamas for a day and a half, Dorian pounded away at the islands Tuesday in a watery onslaught that devastated thousands of homes, trapped people in attics and crippled hospitals. (AP Photo/Tim Aylen)

A fisherman braves giant waves generated by Hurricane Dorian as they explode into the jetty at Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet, Fla., Monday, September 2, 2019. Dorian is forecast to move north off the east coast of Florida. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) 3087905

Kristen Davis watches the high surf from a boardwalk overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, as winds from Hurricane Dorian blow the fronds of a palm tree palm tree, in Vero Beach, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Cars sit submerged in water from Hurricane Dorian in Freeport, Bahamas, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. Dorian is beginning to inch northwestward after being stationary over the Bahamas, where its relentless winds have caused catastrophic damage and flooding.(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A woman carries a girl in her arms after being evacuated from a nearby Cay due to the danger of floods after arrive on a ship at the port before the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in Sweeting's Cay, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Saturday Aug. 31, 2019. Dorian bore down on the Bahamas as a fierce Category 4 storm Saturday, with new projections showing it curving upward enough to potentially spare Florida a direct hit but still threatening parts of the Southeast U.S. with powerful winds and rising ocean water that causes what can be deadly flooding. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Matthew Aylen wades through waist deep water as he is rescued from his flooded home during Hurricane Dorian in Freeport, Bahamas, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. Practically parking over the Bahamas for a day and a half, Dorian pounded away at the islands Tuesday in a watery onslaught that devastated thousands of homes, trapped people in attics and crippled hospitals. (AP Photo/Tim Aylen)

Residents wade through a street flooded with water brought on by Hurricane Dorian in Freeport, Bahamas, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. Dorian is beginning to inch northwestward after being stationary over the Bahamas, where its relentless winds have caused catastrophic damage and flooding. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

This photo provided by the National Hurricane Center shows a view of Hurricane Dorian from Hurricane Hunter P-3 Aircraft early Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019. Dorian has gained fearsome new muscle as an

DeepWater Church Pastor Paul Coleman, in black shirt, leads a group of church members and local Isle of Palms, S.C., residents in prayer under the Isle of Palms pier as Hurricane Dorian spins out in the Atlantic ocean Tuesday, September 3, 2019. They prayed for the Bahamas and for the hurricane to spin harmlessly out in the ocean. (AP Photo by Mic Smith)

Strong winds from Hurricane Dorian blow the tops of trees and brush while whisking up water from the surface of a canal that leads to the sea, located behind the brush at top, seen from the balcony of a hotel in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Monday, Sept. 2, 2019. Hurricane Dorian hovered over the Bahamas on Monday, pummeling the islands with a fearsome Category 4 assault that forced even rescue crews to take shelter until the onslaught passes. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Sharon Annichino, at far right, holds hands with DeepWater Church members and Isle of Palms, S.C., residents in prayer under the Isle of Palms pier as Hurricane Dorian spins out in the Atlantic ocean Tuesday, September 3, 2019. They prayed for the Bahamas and for the hurricane to spin harmlessly out in the ocean. (AP Photo by Mic Smith)

September 2, 2019 Brunswick: Leonard Baker (left) looks on as his dog Chick is loaded on a bus as they evacuate along with hundreds of other local residents boarding buses at Lanier Plaza under mandatory evacuation ahead of Hurricane Dorian for a inland shelter in Columbus on Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, in Brunswick. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

DeepWater Church Pastor Paul Coleman leads Isle of Palms, S.C., residents and church members in bible scripture under the Isle of Palms pier as Hurricane Dorian spins out in the Atlantic ocean Tuesday, September 3, 2019.(AP Photo by Mic Smith)

People line up to buy water at a store before the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in Freeport, Bahamas, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

This Sept. 2, 2019 photo provided by NASA shows the eye of Hurricane Dorian shown from the International Space Station. (Nick Hague/NASA via AP)

People shop for supplies before the arrival of Hurricane Dorian, in Freeport, Bahamas, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. Forecasters say the hurricane is expected to keep on strengthening and become a Category 3 later in the day. (AP Photo/Tim Aylen)

Residents hang on to the railing as a wave generated by Hurricane Dorian explodes into the jetty at Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet, Fla., Monday, September 2, 2019. Dorian is forecast to move north off the east coast of Florida. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) 3087905

September 2, 2019 Brunswick: Ethan Van Cleave, 12, appears distraught as hundreds of local residents board buses at Lanier Plaza to evacuate the area under mandatory evacuation ahead of Hurricane Dorian for a inland shelter in Columbus on Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, in Brunswick. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

September 2, 2019 Brunswick: Glynn County school resource officer Mark Hooper (left) and school support staff member Sheree Armstrong (right) help an emotional Elizabeth Scales board a special needs school bus at Lanier Plaza as hundreds of local residents evacuate the area under mandatory evacuation ahead of Hurricane Dorian on Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, in Brunswick. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

People watch the high surf from the boardwalk overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, in advance of the potential arrival of Hurricane Dorian, in Vero Beach, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2019. Dorian is currently a category 5 hurricane and is moving slowly through the Bahamas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

People stand on the boardwalk along the Atlantic Ocean at night as the outer bands of Hurricane Dorian reach Vero Beach, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2019. Dorian is currently a category 5 hurricane and is moving slowly across the Bahamas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Baltimore tourists Loren Fantasia, left, and her mother, swing on the beach before the arrival of Hurricane Dorian, in Freeport, Bahamas, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. Forecasters said the hurricane is expected to keep on strengthening and become a Category 3 later in the day. (AP Photo/Tim Aylen)

Juna Beach residents Anneka, 8, left, and sister, Breanna, 10, right, along with their mother, Leah Hanza, center, get a close look of the waves crashing against the Juna Beach Pier as Hurricane Dorian crawls toward Florida while the Category 4 storm continues to ravage the Bahamas on Monday, September 2, 2019.

Tourist Loren Fantasia from Baltimore, swings on the beach before the arrival of Hurricane Dorian, in Freeport, Bahamas, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. Forecasters said the hurricane is expected to keep on strengthening and become a Category 3 later in the day. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

Lyle Fidgeon boards windows at the Ocean Grill in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Vero Beach, Fla. The National Hurricane Center says Dorian could hit the Florida coast as a major hurricane. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Beach goer climb the stairs near the Juna Beach Pier as Hurricane Dorian crawls toward Florida while the Category 4 storm continues to ravage the Bahamas on Monday, September 2, 2019.

Workers cover stained glass windows with plywood sections at the Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Flagler Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Surfers take advantage of waves at Anglin's Fishing Pier on Monday, September 2, 2019 in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. The National Hurricane Center extended watches and warnings across the Florida and Georgia coasts as Hurricane Dorian hovered over the Bahamas on Monday.

Residents of Flagler Beach, Fla., fill sandbags Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, to help protect their homes in preparation for Hurricane Dorian Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Strong winds move the palms of the palm trees at the first moment of the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Sunday Sept. 1, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

Matt Rohrer loads sandbags in the back of his vehicle for his home in preparation for Hurricane Dorian Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Flagler Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Gawkers cruise shoreline of Juno Beach near pier under high gust winds as Hurricane Dorian crawls toward Florida while the Category 4 storm continues to ravage the Bahamas on Monday, September 2, 2019.

James Wolfe, 72, left, and Elaine Wolfe, 65, install shutters on their home in Vero Beach, Fla, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Dorian could hit the Florida coast over the weekend as a major hurricane. (AP Photo/Ellis Rua)

In this Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019 photo, Jessica Armesto holds her one-year-old daughter, Mila's, at their home in Miami. Jessica was hoping that Mila could meet a real-life Minnie Mouse at Disney World before Hurricane Dorian derailed her plans. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Dorian could hit the Florida coast over the weekend as a major hurricane. (AP Photo/Marcus Lim)

President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort is seen, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Lisa Vance helps her husband Stephan go up the mast of their sailboat to do a repair in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at the Vero Beach City Marina in Vero Beach, Fla. The National Hurricane Center says Dorian could hit the Florida coast as a major hurricane early next week. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Rich DiGiulio removes an awning from the Mulligans Beach House Bar & Grill in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Vero Beach, Fla. The National Hurricane Center says Dorian could hit the Florida coast as a major hurricane. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Surfers search for waves ahead of Hurricane Dorian on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, at Chastain Beach on Hutchinson Island, Fla. (Leah Voss/TCPalm.com via AP)

Stephan Vance removes items from the deck of his sailboat in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at the Vero Beach City Marina in Vero Beach, Fla. The National Hurricane Center says Dorian could hit the Florida coast as a major hurricane early next week. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Stephan Vance goes up the mast of his sailboat to do a repair in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at the Vero Beach City Marina in Vero Beach, Fla. The National Hurricane Center says Dorian could hit the Florida coast as a major hurricane early next week. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

This GOES-16 satellite image taken Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at 17:30 UTC and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows Hurricane Dorian, right, moving over open waters in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters are now saying Dorian could be a Category 4 with winds of nearly 140 mph (225 kph) when it is forecasted to hit Florida late Monday or early Tuesday. It’s also imperiling the Bahamas, where the storm is expected to hit by Sunday. (NOAA via AP)

Man arrive at the port to help in the tasks of protecting ships in a private harbor while several ships leave the harbor to protect themselves from the arrival of tropical storm Dorian In Boqueron, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

A man arrive at the port to help in the tasks of protecting ships in a private harbor while one ship leaves the harbor to protect themselves from the arrival of tropical storm Dorian In Boqueron, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

People arrive to a private harbor to move boats away for protection ahead of the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian in Boqueron, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A man walks into the water along the beach with his daughter before the arrival of tropical storm Dorian In Combate, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

Man arrive at the port to help in the tasks of protecting ships in a private harbor from the arrival of tropical storm Dorian In Boqueron, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo / Ramon Espinosa)

A shopper walks to her vehicle with a cart full of bottled water at BJ's Wholesale Club in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Hialeah, Fla. Hurricane Dorian is heading towards Florida for a possible direct hit on the state over Labor Day. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Colin Johnson holds back tears as he prepares to board a window at his father's home in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Vero Beach, Fla. Johnson's father, Larry, unexpectedly died Thursday. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP)

FREEPORT, Bahamas (AP) – Rescuers trying to reach drenched and stunned victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas fanned out across a blasted landscape of smashed and flooded homes Wednesday, while disaster relief organizations rushed to bring in food and medicine. The official death toll stood at seven but was certain to rise.

The full magnitude of the crisis in the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama was still coming into focus, with rescue crews yet to reach some stricken areas.

“Right now there are just a lot of unknowns,” Parliament member Iram Lewis said in Grand Bahama in the wake of the most powerful hurricane on record ever to hit the country. “We need help.”

Dorian, meanwhile, pushed its way northward off the Florida shoreline with reduced but still-dangerous 105 mph (165 kph) winds on a projected course that could sideswipe Georgia and the Carolinas. An estimated 3 million people in the four states were warned to evacuate.

The storm mauled the Bahamas for over a day and a half with winds up to 185 mph (295 kph) and torrential rains, swamping neighborhoods in muddy brown floodwaters and destroying or severely damaging thousands of homes.