Maddison Farris
Lantern Staff
Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc across the south as one of the strongest storms on record to strike the Bahamas in many ways including pressure, size and wind speed. With an eye measuring 23 miles in diameter and a total diameter of about 50 miles at its peak, this does not include the wind reach, only the storm itself.
Here in the midwest, the states get a share of intense weather, but the extremes and hardships experienced by those in the path of Dorian cannot be imagined. In Kansas, we hear of the hurricanes, but all that is seen of them are leftover rain clouds and scattered showers. Dorian swept through the Bahamas with unimaginable force. Dorian’s winds reached 185 miles per hour and is viewed as the worst natural disaster to have ever hit the country of the Bahamas.
“Gone are the days of not being prepared for a storm,” Chief Meteorologist Ross Janssen of the KWCH 12 Storm Center said.
Weather technology has improved over the years giving forecasters a greater view into the atmospheric future. This helped the predictions of Dorian immensely.
“It’s great that we have some of the best technology now out there to keep close tabs on all these storms,” Janssen said.
Storm predictions are getting better and increasingly more accurate as time and science continues, but just knowing that disaster is on its way is not enough for people to leave their homes. Emergency evacuations are issued, and families are warned, but to leave behind your home, your way of life, your history, your heritage… The emotional toll that accompanies that is inconceivable.
Completely unrecognizable, the Bahamas and its natives have suffered complete loss. And, even though we are in Kansas, the effects may be closer than Florida. Many students on campus have family who live in Dorian’s wake. One of these students includes Phillip Ambrister, a freshman on the track and field team whose family resides in what is left of the tropical islands.
“When the hurricane came, it was shocking,” Phillip said “People started to drown, and people lost lives there. On the news, he (Prime Minister, Hubert Minnis) said it was just 30 people that died, but it was at least over 1,500 people.”
Currently, the U.S. Coast Guard is assisting in the Bahamian recovery, and President Donald Trump has promised to offer continued assistance.
