Bahamians begin rescue efforts as Dorian moves on toward US coast

FREEPORT, Bahamas - Bahamians rescued victims of Hurricane Dorian with jet skis and a bulldozer as the US Coast Guard, Britain's Royal Navy and a handful of aid groups tried to get food and medicine to survivors and take the most desperate people to safety.

Airports were flooded and roads impassable after the most powerful storm to hit the Bahamas in recorded history stopped over Abaco and Grand Bahama islands, pounding them with winds up to 185 kilometers per hour and torrential rain before finally moving into open waters on Tuesday on a course toward Florida.

People on the US southeastern coast made final preparations for a storm with winds at a still-dangerous 175 km/h, making it a Category 2 storm.