On Sunday 1 September, Hurricane Dorian reached Category 5 Hurricane level as it made landfall on the northern islands of the Bahamas and a second landfall on Abaco island.

With winds reaching 185 mph (close to 300 km/h) and storm surge flooding of 18-23 feet (5.5-7 metres) above normal tide levels, Dorian is reported to be the strongest hurricane to hit the area in modern times causing extreme flooding as well as power and connectivity outages.

WFP has deployed one staff member to the Bahamas to support initial assessments which are expected to start on 3 September. A number of ETC partners are currently in Barbados conducting a training exercise for the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). If required, some of these partners may be deployed to assist response efforts in the Bahamas.

The ETC will continue to monitor the situation closely and share updates.