Hurricane Dorian Response

September 2019
Area Assisted: Bahamas

On September 1, 2019 we launched a relief effort to support the Bahamas in recovering from a direct hit by Hurricane Dorian. To date, this is the largest response Sol Relief has organized and executed.

We coordinated 80 flights in the first 10 days and managed long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts for many years afterwards. We successfully managed more than $4 million worth of funding in support of those affected by Dorian and we continue to do work in these areas to this day.

UPDATE: We’ve done a lot more work since this video was created so the numbers presented in the video are no longer accurate. The figures you see further down this page are correct.

SWIFT AID FOR THE BAHAMAS

Aviation For Disaster Relief

The outpouring of love and support for survivors of Dorian was astonishing. With your support, we were able to make a huge immediate impact in the communities affected by this catastrophic storm.

3 Voyages By The Glory (a 142′ cargo vessel) To Deliver Aid To Freeport & Green Turtle Cay

16+ shipping containers (600,000+ lbs. of relief supplies) delivered to Freeport in two shipments.
1 boatload of building supplies delivered to Green Turtle Cay.
Helped fund & coordinated barge delivery of heavy equipment to Hope Town.

120+ Flights To Bahamian Airports Including Marsh Harbour, Treasure Cay, Freeport, West End & Nassau

80+ Flights of Critical Relief Supplies
15 Flights of Medical Supplies & First Responders
15 Flights of Water Making Teams & Equipment
5 Flights with Logistics & Technicians Teams
3 Flights for Transport of Government Officials
4 Flights for Transport of NPO Aid Workers

Provision & Transport Of Volunteers And Resources Needed For Humanitarian Aid

Placed 3 team members in Abaco (4 days after storm) to manage logistics & supply distribution.
Supplied fuel for ferry boats to deliver critical aid.
Repaired: 3 Ferry Boats, 1 Line Truck, 1 Fuel Station, 40+ Generators, 10+ Cars & Golf Carts, 20+ Debris Removal Equipment.

SUPPORTING THE BAHAMAS WITH LONGTERM RECOVERY

Community Empowerment

Supporting areas affected by disaster after our initial response is an important part of our mission. We continuted to work in the Bahamas for several years after our initial response.

72+ homes rebuilt to include labor and/or materials for mold mitigation, drywall replacement, windows and roof repairs/replacement. (Special consideration was given to families with elderly residents, children, multi-generational families and those with medical conditions.)
4 new construction homes completed from ground up and a 5th is underway.
In conjunction with the Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA), we recently broke ground on the Abaco Community Center and Hurricane Shelter which is scheduled to be completed by this summer. Sol Relief is funding this project along with two other donors and has played an integral role in the planning and design of the structure.
In 2020, we received in-kind donations of over $234k of waterproof roofing membranes from Polyglass USA to provide 300+ homes with weatherproof roofs.
To complete as many roofs as possible prior to the 2021 hurricane season, we partnered with two other nonprofits, All Hands And Hearts (AHAH) and The Rotary of Nassau, to distribute and apply the Polyglass materials to homes that were ready for the materials.

School Supplies For Freeport

After receiving a request from Altamarae Elvies (Principal of Freeport Bible Academy) for assistance with obtaining school supplies for 1,000 students on Grand Bahama, we reached out to the Tampa Bay Rays for support.

The Rays gathered funds (over $12,000) and utilized their corporate partnerships to procure the requested items which were shipped directly to Albert Whitted airport. We have been loading the supplies on flights for delivery to Freeport.

Little Abaco Roof Rebuilds

Four days after Dorian passed over the Abaco Islands, we placed a small team of skilled individuals on the ground to assist with supply distribution and to provide updated communications about conditions on the ground. During their 14 day stay, our team identified 3 families in need of new roofs in Little Abaco.

SERVPRO of Central St. Pete heard about this project and stepped up to help. They’ve provided a team of skilled laborers who have helped load The Glory (a 142′ cargo vessel) with building supplies. The team then assisted with unloading the supplies in Green Turtle Cay and are actively working on rebuilding the roofs.

Holiday Gift Drive & Fly In

Kevin Morris, Chief Councilor of West Grand Bahama District Council, sent us a request for help provisioning Christmas gifts for 1,000 children and 750 elderly who reside on Grand Bahama. Holiday Gift Drives are one of our favorite ways to be involved with the communities we help and we also see this as a great opportunity to mobilize our volunteer pilot community!

Good360 has partnered with us to fulfill the large gift order and they’ll be delivering the items to us at Albert Whitted ready for transport. If you’re a volunteer pilot who’s been waiting to get involved, the Fly In and delivery of the gifts is the perfect opportunity!