Tropical Storm Humberto dumps rain on hurricane-hit Bahamas

Tropical Storm Humberto lashed the Bahamas with rain and wind on Saturday, possibly slowing down relief efforts in the wake of the devastation wrought less than two weeks ago by Hurricane Dorian.

The US National Hurricane Center said the center of the storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 60 miles (95 kilometers) per hour, was passing Saturday evening about 85 miles north of Great Abaco Island, one of the areas hardest hit by Dorian.

Humberto was moving away from the Bahamas on a path taking it well off the east coast of Florida this weekend and early next week, the NHC said.

The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Sunday but is not forecast to impact the Bahamas or the US by that point.

"Significant storm surge is not expected in the northwestern Bahamas from this system," the Miami-based NHC said -- good news for residents of Abaco and Grand Bahama still trying to get back on track after Dorian swept through early this month.

Jeffrey Roberts, 49, eats a plate of food while searching through the rubble of his relatives' home.

'Climate crisis'

Meanwhile 71 people were staying in shelters on Grand Bahama island and 2,037 in shelters in New Providence, where Nassau is located, Smith said.

"I just came back from Abaco. I must say (I) was horrified. I've never seen such a level of systematic devastation," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Saturday after traveling to the islands the day prior.

"Hurricane Dorian has been classified as category five. I think it's category hell."

Guterres said Dorian demonstrated the need to address climate change.

Agence France-Presse