Death toll rises to at least 20 in the Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian

The death toll in the Bahamas rose to at least 20 on Wednesday as the catastrophic damage left behind by Hurricane Dorian came into sharper focus and the world mobilized to help the shattered islands.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis confirmed that the death toll had spiked as emergency workers continued to assess the damage of the Category 5 monster, but he warned that “we expect this number will increase.”

At the airport in Nassau, residents desperate to recover loved ones trapped on Great Abaco and Grand Bahama, search and rescue teams and aid groups organizing shipments of relief supplies to the devastated islands gathered to help the government of the Bahamas begin the long road to recovery.