ABACO, Bahamas — On September 1, 2019, Hurricane Dorian tore apart homes, businesses, schools and families in Abaco. The first priorities in the aftermath of the storm were survival, emergency care, food, water, evacuations and shelter. The Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society (formerly The Bahamas Lighthouse Preservation Society) — a non-profit historical and educational society working to preserve the lighthouse, the keeper’s dwellings and the grounds — is now dealing with the worst damage the Lightstation has sustained since Hurricane Floyd, but has vowed to “have the Elbow Reef Lighthouse standing strong once again.”
“Historic preservation is our specialty,” the society declares on its website. “There are complexities and intricacies to consider so research, time and patience are involved—all which are not often visible to the public. Sourcing our needs and building replacement parts often involves maverick thinking. As a result and over time, the ERLS has forged beneficial relationships with historians, engineers, craftsperson and other magicians worldwide.” In this Bahamas Ministry of Tourism video, Lighthouse Keeper Jeffrey Forbes, who says the lighthouse is “in my blood,” and Deb Patterson provide a brief history of the lighthouse. https://youtu.be/87Fdyn03P5k
