Bahamian family in West Palm Beach during Hurricane Dorian makes it back to Freeport, shocked by devastation

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Bahamian couple that got stranded in West Palm Beach because of Hurricane Dorian is now back in Freeport and in complete shock over the devastation they've seen so far.

Exactly one week ago, Beverly and John Curtis spoke to WPTV from their cousin's home in West Palm Beach. Their family in the Bahamas was sending them videos and pictures of Hurricane Dorian's impact to their homes and neighborhoods and begged for help.

Beverly and John were anxious to get back to Freeport.

Last Thursday, they received notice from the Grand Celebration cruise that they could board to get back to Freeport. They had two hours to gather as many supplies as possible.

"Rushed to Sam's store and load up the carts with as much things as possible for them to take back," said Marie Braziel, Beverly and John's cousin by marriage.

Back in Freeport now, John and Beverly have seen the devastation with their own eyes.

"I went into my mom and sister's neighborhood. I just cried and cried. It's terrible," said Beverly Curtis in a video phone call with WPTV's Michelle Quesada.

Water came up to Beverly's 87-year-old mom's chest during the storm. The flooding caused all of her furniture to float.

"The bed, the dining room table, the fridge, everything had to be thrown out," said Curtis. "You have to work quickly because of the mold."

Beverly said she's had to wait three to four hours in line to get gas and there's nowhere to get supplies to reinforce the homes still standing.

"Definitely people will have to travel to the U.S. for building supplies," Curtis said. "This morning, I got up and I felt like my heart was about to give up and I said, wow, why am I feeling like this, you know? And then you remember what you just went through."

Marie is gathering supplies locally to hand off to John and Beverly when they return in a week for more help.

"I know it can be very heartbreaking. We are not there, we are here, but we continue with our faith and prayer," said Braziel.