While the reeling Bahamas were largely spared additional damage from Humberto, the storm's passage did impede much-needed recovery efforts for areas in dire need of relief.
Humberto, which is now a hurricane headed toward Bermuda, never got closer than 30 miles to the Bahamas on Saturday, according to Trevor Basden, the director of the Department of Meteorology in the Bahamas. Relief efforts from Dorian were back in full force on Sunday after being previously suspended.
Because of the potential impacts from Humberto, the distribution of meals was put on hold in Grand Bahama on Saturday, according to the Associated Press. The AP also said that flights into Marsh Harbor, where the United Nations World Food Program had set up its relief headquarters, were suspended.
Despite avoiding a hard hit, Humberto still dumped heavy rain on northwest areas of the archipelago that had already been severely damaged by Dorian. A tropical storm warning was put out by the Bahamian government prior to the storm, but was lifted by the end of Saturday night.
“It’s a blessing to us that it’s staying out in the Atlantic Ocean,” Basden said.
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Jeffrey Roberts, 49, eats a plate of food while searching through the rubble of his relatives' home which was destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in Pelican Point, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. The death toll from the hurricane stands at 50 and the number of missing at an alarming 1,300 people, although officials caution the list is preliminary and many people could just be unable to connect with loved ones. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
About 1,300 people in the Bahamas are still missing in the aftermath of Dorian.
“We are a nation in mourning,” Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said. “The grief is unbearable following the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian, which has left behind death, destruction and despair on Grand Bahama and Abaco, our second and third most populous islands.”
While the death toll still stands at 50, Minnis said that he still expects the number to significantly increase.
Even for the survivors, a daunting mental recovery awaits. According to the AP, mental health counselors are visiting communities to help those traumatized.
Fernando Llano/AP
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Homes lay in ruins one week after Hurricane Dorian hit The Mudd neighborhood, in the Marsh Harbor area of Abaco, Bahamas, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019.
Many survivors were forced into cramped conditions, forced to wade in chest-high water, or watch loved ones lose their lives. Mental health specialist Eoin Ryan said it may take months to determine the psychological toll dealt to survivors.
"I think some persons can't believe that it happened and others are still processing it. They needed to have an outlet and share these emotions," Pastor Robert Lockhart said after urging his congregants to share their survival stories during Sunday morning's service. "People felt like they were going to die."
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres visited the stricken islands on Saturday as Humberto brought heavy rainfall.
My gratitude and appreciation to the Dutch military for all their work assisting in the recovery efforts in the Bahamas after #HurricaneDorian and the generous support provided during my visit.
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In a video posted to Twitter, Guterres said “it’s impossible not to be horrified with the destruction in Abaco after Hurricane Dorian.”
"I've never seen such a level of systematic devastation. Hurricane Dorian has been classified as Category Five. I think it's category hell."
Last Wednesday, the Bahamian government had listed the number of missing people at 2,500. But after cross-referencing databases, the officials revised the number to 1,300, Carl Smith, the National Emergency Management Agency spokesperson, said at a news conference.
"The number of people registered missing with the Bahamas government is going down daily," Smith said.
One of those missing persons is McAdrian Farrington Sr.'s son and namesake. He fears that authorities may never find all of the missing bodies.
"There's a lot of people missing, not just my son," Farrington told CBS News. "The gust of wind blew him off the roof, on the side of the home back into the surge water."
A Facebook post in the group "Abaco Family Connect #HurricaneDorian" showed photos of Farrington Sr. with his son, who goes by AJ.
Farrington Sr. says he broke his leg trying to save his son, who slipped out of his hands. As the official numbers continue to be updated, Farrington Sr. said he has struggled to maintain hope.
"Given the circumstances, I'm not that hopeful," he said. "Knowing I can rely on the Lord above to rest assure, that's going to be hopeful for me."
"I still can hear people crying for their lives in my head," he said. "I still can see my son getting dragged across the roof, reaching out."
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