Bahamas death toll from Hurricane Dorian rises to 20

The official death toll in the Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian has risen to 20, according to Wednesday reports, and is expected to climb further.

Dorian, the strongest hurricane ever to hit the Bahamas, devastated the archipelago nation. Winds up to 185 mph and torrential rains destroyed or severely damaged nearly half the homes of the 70,000 residents in Abaco and Grand Bahama, The Associated Press reported.

{mosads}Bahamian Health Minister Duane Sands told the AP that 17 of the deaths are from Abaco and three are from Grand Bahama. Dorian is also blamed for one death in Puerto Rico as well as one in North Carolina.

The hurricane was a Category 5 when it first struck the Bahamas and has since been downgraded to a Category 2. 

Dorian is now working its way up the East Coast of the U.S., threatening Georgia and the Carolinas.

The U.S. government, British Navy and international organizations such as the Red Cross are all assisting in cleanup and relief efforts in the Bahamas.

“Right now there are just a lot of unknowns,” Parliament member Iram Lewis told the AP. “We need help.”