Today in History: October 9

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THE BAHAMAS – On this day in Bahamian history, on October 9, 1963, Hurricane Flora passed over the southeastern Bahamas, causing one death on the island of Mayaguana and extensive agricultural and infrastructure damage to the islands of Exuma, Long Island, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay, and Inagua.

Hurricane Flora is among the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history, with a regional death total of at least 7,193 people. It was the seventh tropical storm and sixth hurricane of the 1963 Atlantic hurricane season. After remaining a weak depression for several days, it rapidly organized on September 29 to attain tropical storm status.

Minnis Administration’s Shantytown Demolition Efforts

In 2018, the Minnis administration filed an application to prevent any further development of shantytowns that were earmarked for demolition. There was a legal order standing in the way of their plans to tear down nine shantytowns.

Then-head of the Shantytown Action Task Force, Dion Foulkes, said they were following the legal process.

Dion Foulkes – Head of the Shantytown Action Task Force
“The Attorney General has made an application to vary the order with respect to the shantytowns to restrict any further construction in all the shantytowns throughout the country. What we want to do is halt any further development or expansion of the existing shantytowns. That is now an application the Attorney General has made.”