Hurricane Irene has severely damaged dozens of homes in the southern Bahamas as it cuts a destructive path through the island chain.
The National Emergency Management Agency reports that a settlement known as Lovely Bay on Acklins island has been destroyed. The agency said in a statement that at least 40 homes were badly damaged on the island of Mayaguana. Authorities are still gathering damage reports and there were few details on the destruction.
Trees have been knocked down and streets flooded throughout the archipelago but there are no reports of deaths or injuries.
Hurricane Irene’s wind weakened to about 115 mph (185 kph) Thursday as the storm battered the island of Eleuthera. Winds in the capital of Nassau were not expected to exceed 65 mph (105 kph).
