NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans developer and serial entrepreneur Sidney Torres has spent the past week, gathering food and medical supplies to send to the Bahamas.
Hurricane Dorian pounded the Bahamas with Category 5 winds up to 185 mph and torrential rains, swamping neighborhoods in brown floodwater and destroying or severely damaging, by one estimate, nearly half the homes in Abaco and Grand Bahama, which have 70,000 residents and are known for their marinas, golf courses and all-inclusive resorts.
According to Torres, this Saturday and moving forward, DC 3 cargo planes will be flying into airports throughout the devastated areas dropping off 20,000 pre-packaged meals that will feed a family of 4 for 4 days.
Earlier this week, there was a call for desperately needed medical supplies. New Orleans based LCMC Health and Ocshner Health Systems are both expected to make sizable donations. Torres said he hopes to fly those supplies down to the Bahamas as well.
Volunteers have been working throughout the week at Torres's warehouse in Mid City, boxing up food for the first shipment.
"We sincerely thank everyone for the outpouring of support in our Relief Fund efforts for Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas," Torres said. "We've received an impressive amount of food and medical supply donations, so our focus now is getting the much needed items into the hands of the people most affected."
Torres is the owner of IV Waste management in New Orleans. He is also developing his third resort in the Bahamas.
"Some dear friends of my who helped me build the Cove, my first resort have been calling out, crying for help," Torres told WWL-TV. "I've been knowing some of these people since 1997."
"Even if it's not money, you can come help load boxes, you can help call your friends who are in the medical business," Torres said. "Anything you can do is a huge help."
The first 18-wheeler full of food and supplies is set to leave Torres's warehouse Friday afternoon.