Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 storm, blasted through the northern Bahamas, killing at least 50 people as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

The storm decimated neighborhoods Sept. 1 with winds of 185 mph and flooding that reached 25 feet high in some areas.

Thousands of people remain in limbo as local officials debate how they will help Bahamians rebuild their lives.

More than 1,300 people have been reported as missing, but the government has said it expects that number to drop because many may be in shelters or staying with family or friends.

Those most affected by the storm were the couple thousands of people living in the Abaco communities known as Da Mudd and Pigeon Peas, shantytowns that were home to many of those who provided cheap labor in the construction, agricultural, domestic service and marine sectors.

The government has not given any specifics on what it will do to find more permanent shelters for hurricane survivors, but it did issue an announcement Sunday prohibiting anyone from building any kind of new home or shelter in those communities for at least six months.

Photos by Ramon Espinosa

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