LAKELAND, Fla. — A team effort across the Tampa Bay area is underway to get aid to the Bahamas for Dorian relief.
- Lakeland group aiding in donations to storm-stricken Bahamas
- DORIAN: Tampa Bay Area Relief Efforts, Donations
As the surge waters receded Wednesday, survivors emerged and said it looked like a bomb went off, with entire pockets of the Bahamas wiped out with no livable structures remaining.
A survivor emerging from the wreckage Wednesday said, "We were trapped inside our apartment. The wind came, blew every window out."
Between 60,000 to 70,000 people live on the north island where Dorian's eye stalled out for more than a day.
They all need the basics right now like food, water and first aid kits.
As aid trips get scheduled from Florida, supplies at Tampa area businesses taking donations are piling up.
At Maurice's Auto Repair in Lakeland, the car repair shop is working closely with Angel Flight at Lakeland Linder Airport right next door.
Angel Flight partners with Sandals Resorts and plans to make a first aid drop in the Bahamas next Tuesday.
"We are right next door to the airport here — it's not even two minutes" said shop President Maurice McIeish. “So we will take it over there. We will take it to the hangar, get it to our guys. We are going to have them in boxes, load them on the plane. Try to fit the lighter ones with what we can.”
McIeish said aside from the supply donations it will also be matching up to $1,000 in cash donations to the Bahamas.
List of National Businesses Assisting:
NATIONAL
Red Cross
https://bahamasredcross.org/donate/
GlobalGiving
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hurricane-dorian-relief-fund/
World Central Kitchen
https://wck.org/news/hurricane-dorian
International Medical Corps
https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/emergency-response/hurricane-dorian/
Team Rubicon
https://teamrubiconusa.org/blog/readying-resources-for-likely-dorian-response/
Salvation Army
https://give.helpsalvationarmy.org/give/166081/#!/donation/checkout
Americares
Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation
https://www.gbdisasterrelief.org/about-us/
Water Mission
https://watermission.org/hurricane-dorian-response/
Project Hope
BahamaStrong (Miami Government)