NASSAU, Bahamas -- There are untold numbers of people in the northern Bahamas who need rescuing, after Hurricane Dorian's devastating tear through Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands.
Some of them are reaching out for help with an app developed after Hurricane Harvey in 2017, that was used a lot during Hurricane Michael the following year.
Matthew Marchetti is co-founder of Crowdsource Rescue, a non-profit 501 (c)3 group. Their phone app is designed to connect people needing rescue to volunteers who might be able to help them.
Marchetti says he's starting to get offers of help. Most are from other parts of the Bahamas, but some U.S. residents and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are also starting to respond.
The Crowd Source Rescue map shows more than 70 requests for help in Freeport alone. Marchetti says that until he can get volunteers to the scene, he's referring requests to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Marchetti says his app was used extensively after Hurricane Michael struck the Panama City area last year. It handled more than three thousand requests for help, mainly wellness checks.
Crowdsource Rescue is a nonprofit and accepts donations of money as well as volunteers. Here's a link to their website: