The Best Way to Support the Bahamas

Author: Taylor Abreu

Many people don't understand just how big the Bahamas is. When comparing it to countries like Canada and the United States on the map, is does indeed appear to be quite small...however, Bahamas is made up of 700 islands & islets (small islands), and approximately 2000 cays spread over 100,000 square feet of ocean.
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The country experienced a huge and unimaginable devastation when Hurricane Dorian hit. Lives were lost, hundreds of people are still missing, homes were destroyed and two of their largest islands were flooded. As a Category 5 Hurricane, Dorian was the strongest on record to ever hit the Bahamas.

On September 1st, 2019 the eye of the hurricane made its appearance on the Abaco Islands, in Northern Bahamas. With winds up to 300km/h, thousands of houses were destroyed with residents trapped in attics or stranded on rooftops to avoid the mass flooding. Roadways were significantly damaged, and the islands airport was underwater for days. Abaco lost access to power and telecommunications, and clean water became scarce. ​

On September 2nd, 2019 the eye of the hurricane made its way to the eastern end of Grand Bahama Island. This is where Dorian remained stationary for over 24 hours. Buildings and houses were shredded apart and there was an island-wide power outage. 60% of Grand Bahama was flooded, leaving the island's airport under 6 feet of water, and resulting in washed up sewage contaminating their entire hospital.

Dorian wiped out everything and left the island's residents with nothing. Some families were separated, and some families still are. They wake up every day to the realization that this still isn’t a bad dream. They’re thankful every day for all that is being done to help, but we as surrounding communities need to understand the importance of continuing to travel to Bahamas right now.

As mentioned above, several people don’t realize the true size of the Bahamas, or just how many islands make up the whole country. Two of the 700 islands were majorly affected by Hurricane Dorian in September... TWO! Nassau, for example, remains a beautiful destination to enjoy a week-long vacation by the pool, by the beach, or even underwater - diving! There is no better way to support the country in this crucial time of need, than to go there. If everyone puts their travels to the Bahamas on pause, their economy will continue to sink.

The reason I’m writing this is because it saddens me every time someone mentions avoiding Bahamas in their upcoming travels. “Why would you go there?” “Is it even safe yet?” “But everything is destroyed!” The Bahamas is one of the most incredibly beautiful Caribbean countries I’ve ever had the fortune of visiting… and it still is exactly that. The water is this beautiful, crystal-clear turquoise blue. The sand is soft and warm from the sun. The sunsets and sunrises vary from deep reds and oranges, to bright pinks and purples. The underwater world is full of life, from sharks to schools of squid. It’s an absolutely breathtaking country, and it needs your help.

What better way to support a country, than to book a vacation down south?