Hurricane Dorian hovered over the Bahamas on Monday, pummeling the islands with a fearsome Category 5 assault that shredded roofs, hurled cars and forced even rescue crews to take shelter until the onslaught passes.
The storm's top sustained winds fell slightly to 165 mph (270 kph), and its westward movement slowed almost to a standstill.
"We need you to bunker down," Kwasi Thompson, minister of state for Grand Bahama, warned people.