Widespread damage, severe flooding in Bahamas
FREEPORT, Bahamas: After two days of roaring winds and severe flooding, Bahamians emerged under drizzly skies yesterday to witness the destruction left by Hurricane Frances — walls sheared from homes, roofs collapsed, yards littered with boats, mangled trees and TV sets. The hurricane left at least two dead and one missing, and officials said they feared the death toll could rise as they surveyed the damage. The northern island of Grand Bahama appeared particularly hard-hit, with several neighbourhoods flooded, fallen trees blocking many roads and snapped power lines lying amid debris.
Violent winds tore open a wall at Gary Roberts’ home, where waters rushed in shoulder-deep, ruining furniture and mattresses. A stray bird fluttered about in the house Sunday as he stepped across the slick, silty floor. “At least we’re alive. The contents and everything can be brought back,” said Roberts, a 22-year-old who took shelter elsewhere during the storm with relatives. His wife, Ronique Roberts, said a car had floated across their yard during the hurricane, which stalled over Grand Bahama Island and caused widespread damage Saturday. It remained unclear how many homes were flooded in the Bahamas, but officials said they estimated hundreds of homes were damaged on Grand Bahama Island alone.
One man was found floating face-down Saturday in about three feet of water on the western end of Grand Bahama, police Superintendent Basil Rahming said. Police believe the man had been trying to swim to safety from his flooded yard. Another man was electrocuted while trying to fill a generator with diesel as the storm raged through the capital of Nassau on Friday.
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"Widespread damage, severe flooding in Bahamas"