Florida's U.S. senators say Bahamian authorities need to make specific requests to the U.S. government-run aid agency before the U.S. Department of Defense can assist the Bahamas with Hurricane Dorian relief efforts.
At a Friday news conference in Miami, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said he had spoken to Bahamian authorities and believes the request to the U.S. Agency for International Development may be sent soon.
Scott and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio flew with the U.S. Coast Guard to the Bahamas Friday along with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to look at the damage.
Rubio said part of the holdup has been the slow assessment of what is needed. He says that the passing of the storm "will free up some northern command assets."
Rubio also said the main hospital in Freeport, Bahamas, needs supplies and that fuel tanks in Grand Bahama flooded causing oil to spill over the top.
