At Least 5 Dead As Dorian Triggers Massive Flooding in Bahamas

Hurricane Dorian triggered massive flooding and damage in the Bahamas on Monday, which Prime Minister Hubert Minnie characterized as “unprecedented and extensive.” The AP reports that that at least five people have been killed as a result of the storm. Bahamian officials say they've received thousands of distress messages from people trapped by floodwaters, but that weather has made rescues difficult. “We simply cannot get to you,” Police Chief Samuel Butler told a radio station, while urging residents to remain calm and continue providing GPS coordinates. The Category 4 storm barely moved on Monday, and while winds have slowed some since Sunday's high of 185 mph, the flood danger persists, with surges feared to be as high as 23 feet. Residents reported floods reaching the second floor of their houses, and reaching over the top of palm trees. Dorian is likely to begin pulling away from the Bahamas early Tuesday and heading northeast about 40 to 50 miles off the Florida coast, missing the mainland, although forecasters warn that could change. The National Hurricane Center extended watches and warnings across the Florida and Georgia coasts, and 830,000 South Carolina residents were evacuated from coastal regions of the state Monday. Georgia also issued mandatory evacuations Monday from all residents on the state's Atlantic coast.