Freeport, Bahamas — As Hurricane Frances made its way out of the Bahamas after touching down on just about every major island, Bahamian officials said Saturday morning that early reports indicate serious damage to the southern islands.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had received reports of houses flattened, roofs ripped off, neighborhoods flooded and storm surges washing over roads, but damaged phone lines have left emergency officials without a complete picture to the devastation in Frances’ wake.
One man was electrocuted Friday while filling a generator with diesel.
Bahamian officials reported Saturday that they were expecting reports of injuries out of Abaco Island after the roof collapsed at a Cooperstown clinic being used as a makeshift command center.
Surges have caused a significant amount of damage, washing over roads on most of the islands, according to Clarence Clair, who is with the NEMA Central Command in Nassau/New Providence.
He said the hurricane displaced at least 100 people from their homes in San Salvador Island and Rum Cay. In addition, five homes were destroyed and there was serious damage to government schools on San Salvador Island.
Clair said the reports from many of the islands came in late last night or have been limited because of downed or severed phone communications.
“We know there has been severe damage in Eleuthera, but telephone lines were severed and we have not been able to communicate with them,” Clair said.
Field reports indicated much of the damage was in Harbor Island and Spanish Wells where bridges were closed.
NEMA provided early reports from the following islands:
In Mayaguana, there were reports of serious damage to buildings and roads in three parishes — Betsy Bay, Pirate’s Well and Abraham Bay. Officials reported that the hurricane made the roads to Betsy Bay impassable, cutting it off from the rest of the island.
In Acklins Island, there were reports of roofs being torn off and houses destroyed. At the Marietta Hotel and Club, the winds ripped off the roof, destroying appliances and other equipment. In addition, government schools as well as a government clinic were damaged.
Major erosion to the road linking Lovely Bay to the rest of Acklins made it impassable. Officials also received early reports of severe damage to the northern section of Cat Island from seawall breeches.
In New Providence, there has been serious structural damage to residences, government and private buildings.
Clair said some roads are unusuable until clean up crews move trees and debris.
In Grand Bahamas, where Frances made her exit, almost 90 percent of West End residents had been evacuated Friday evening and Saturday morning when the eye of the hurricane passed over this working-class neighborhood of about 2,000 people.
NEMA officials cautioned Saturday that it was too early to know the extent of damage, but they were deploying assessment teams.
Sandra Hernandez, Sun-Sentinel
Associated Press contributed to this report
