FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Hurricane Dorian left a disastrous mark on the Bahamas and has Bahamian natives heartbroken after seeing the damage done to their homeland.
A woman who lives on the island chain was forced to watch the terrifying images from the island from afar.
Shanea Strachan works as a production assistant for a Bahamian news station and is stranded here in South Florida. She said the messages she has been receiving from home are not easy to watch.
“To see your island in a state of crisis and an emergency, it’s heart-wrenching,” said Strachan, as she struggled to hold back her tears.
Strachan was in Florida on vacation when Hurricane Dorian slammed the Bahamas.
“Homes being flooded, lives being lost, you know, this is a tragedy that the Bahamas has never seen before, especially Grand Bahama,” said Strachan.
“This is one of those areas that is well known for flooding,” said a reporter in the Bahamas.
Strachan works for the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas and has seen several cries for help via the company’s hotline.
“A lot of heartbreaking messages, I’m sorry,” said Strachan as tears fell down her cheeks. “You know, persons have been stuck in her homes, persons have been stuck on their roofs since last night with waters flooding.”
Despite being so far away, Strachan is doing all she can by sharing information of how to help on social media and shopping for supplies.
“We’re gonna go out today. [We] plan to get water. Water is a big need because there is no water in the island,” said Strachan.
Strachan said she is not prepared for what she may encounter when she returns home.
“I have family members there, and I have my colleagues there working tirelessly and endlessly,” said Strachan. “The Bahamas I’m going back to is not the Bahamas that I left, and I’m a person that takes pride in my country and my people, and it’s just heart-wrenching.”
Strachan does not know how or when she will be able to return home.
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