At least 2,500 people have been registered as missing in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, the Bahamas government said Wednesday, as it confirmed that oil from tanks damaged by the storm had spread along the coast of Grand Bahama.
The National Emergency Management Agency became aware of the oil spill as soon as it was able to fly over Grand Bahama and alerted the Norwegian company, Equinor, that owns and manages the facility, said spokesman Carl Smith.
“They indicated that they are aware of it and they had already taken steps to mobilize a response to the spill,” said Smith, speaking at a news conference. “The company that owns the facility has a responsibility to respond and they are working in tandem to address the oil spill, they are not working cross purposes.”
The oil spill first became apparent on Friday. Equinor’s oil facility is located on the shore of the eastern end of Grand Bahama, which was slammed by Dorian when the storm parked itself over the island with winds in excess of 165 miles per hour and life-threatening rains.
Evan Cartwright, an architect with the Bahamas Ministry of Works, told the Miami Herald on Friday that the oil from the facility had made its way into the area’s drinking water supply.
During the daily briefing Wednesday, officials said water supply remains limited. Desalination is posing a challenge. Samples of water have been sent off to labs to test for salt water intrusion.
Officials warned that Bahamians are still in the peak of hurricane season, and they should expect heavy rainfall and gusty winds through the weekend as a new system moves across the islands. The storm has a low chance of developing, officials said.
Smith said the 2,500 people on a government registry for the missing had not been checked against government records of people staying in shelters or evacuated. At least 5,500 people, Smith said, had been evacuated to Nassau, where officials were adding additional tents to accommodate evacuees. He said the list could decrease as they reunite family members and as individuals who evacuated from Abaco and Grand Bahama register with social services.
