In the wake of Hurricane Dorian, Odyssey Aviation's FBO in Nassau, Bahamas has been serving as the main launch site for a majority of the relief airlift, acting as a base for the Bahamas government and its multiple agencies, NGOs, aid workers and support teams, overseen by The Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency. The Odyssey team is also supporting the coordination of the first responders and managing the procurement, organisation and distribution of vital relief supplies.

The strongest hurricane in the region since records began in 1851, Hurricane Dorian decimated the northern islands of The Bahamas over Labor Day Weekend, demolishing homes, infrastructure, airports and a hospital. Winds reaching 185 mph made for a torturous 48 hours for all the residents on Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands. The devastation of property and loss of life will go down as the largest natural disaster in Bahamian history.

All branches of the US Department of Defense have been working tirelessly from the Odyssey ramp coordinating their efforts to get rescue teams and critical medical supplies to the areas affected.

Odyssey Aviation created a makeshift triage centre to assist with the evacuees arriving with immediate medical attention, nourishment and fluids. Relief items from all over the world have been arriving since the storm has passed. The Odyssey team in MYNN and local volunteers have been working tirelessly to assist.

Odyssey president Steven Kelly says: “2,000 evacuees have already been processed through the Odyssey facility and we expect that number to double. Given the magnitude of these efforts, I urge residents to give their time and whatever else they can to assist evacuees at the evacuee centres that have been established throughout the island of New Providence. The local civic organisations, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and local charities have all been a part of the relief effort at Odyssey, and without these hands and minds, our monumental task would be far greater. We are indebted to these folks for their help.”

The evacuees are processed through an arrival desk. If they have a passport or any form of identification, the documents are scanned into a database that is used by the Bahamian government's social services department to further assist persons that have been displaced by the hurricane.

“The work of rebuilding the northern islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama is under way,” Kelly continues. “And although it is heartbreaking to see the destruction, it has also reminded us that people are good, together we are stronger, and we will overcome.

“The 700 islands of the Bahamas stretch from Florida to Cuba, and thankfully the central and southern islands didn't suffer any damage post-Dorian. With airports, hotels and cruise terminals all receiving visitors, we remain open for business."