PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Hurricane Dorian left parts of the Bahamas unrecognizable and a Bahamian woman living in Palm Beach County says the category 5 hurricane not only destroyed her home, it destroyed a lifeline for her family.
“In an effort to save lives we were forced to break into a building and walk through waste deep water,” Lanez Burt read.
For Burt it’s a difficult message to read.
“Upon arrival to the attic of a new building I soon realized it was still under construction and not livable. At one point I thought it was going to collapse,” she continued.
It’s one of the only messages from her cousin living in Freeport after Hurricane Dorian ripped through the island.
“That was two days being in those buildings. Two days. From Sunday, Monday,” Burt said.
Burt says her cousin Rochelle who is a social worker helped save a small group of people ranging from two months to 94-years-old. This is a part of her ordeal.
“And so after two days we were rescued and brought into another shelter and a few minutes ago I was told my house was underwater,” Burt read.
It’s a harsh reality for Burt, knowing that her family and friends are hurting and the cruises they use to get from the Bahamas to South Florida are not an option right now.
“You know on ‘Paradise’ from Riviera a lot of natives from Freeport they travel on that a lot coming here,” Burt said.
She finds some comfort knowing that until she can get back to the southern Bahamian islands - her family there are stepping in to do what they can.
“I don’t know now it’s going to be a while before they can get it all together again,” she said.
The Executive Director of the Port of Palm Beach says cruise services to Freeport are canceled, Thursday and they’re working to get operations back as soon as possible.