During his Remarks at the Cabinet Memorial of the Seventh Anniversary of Hurricane Dorian, on September 1, 2026, Prime Minister the Hon. Philip Davis said that the hurricane brought devastation on a scale and ferocity that has “changed our nation forever”.
“Many lives were lost, and although the years have passed, their families still carry the profound weight of that loss,” he said at the event held at the Office of the Prime Minister. “Today, we pause to remember those whose lives were taken in Abaco and Grand Bahama.”
He added: “We honour their memory, we hold their families in our hearts, and we pray that God will continue to strengthen and comfort them, and bring restoration and healing. We remember the survivors — those who endured the unimaginable, and then began again with little left to call their own. We remember those who rose to help — first responders, volunteers, doctors and nurses, neighbours who took in neighbours, and strangers who became family.
“We remember the children whose childhood was interrupted, and who are now young men and women carrying that storm within them.”
Along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Science and Technology the Hon. Chester Cooper and the cabinet ministers present, in attendance were other senior government officials and OPM staff members. Parliamentary Secretary in the Office to the Prime Minister Sen. the Hon. Clint Watson served as moderator; renowned vocal artist Ms. Alia Coley sang an inspiring rendition of the National Anthem; Vice-President of the Bahamas Christian Council Bishop Woodley Thompson offered the Prayer for Victims, Survivors and the Families; and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Concert Band provided musical performances.
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force gave a General Salute during the Moment of Silence.
RBDF Chief Petty Officer Eunice Rolle sang a powerful rendition of CeCe Winans’s ‘Goodness of God’, before the closing prayer by Bishop Thompson.
Prime Minister Davis noted that, seven years on, Bahamians measure themselves by what they have done with the lessons Dorian taught them.
“That preparation is not a choice,” he said. “That resilience is a responsibility, that no island and no settlement can be left behind.”
“We rebuild and we regrow in their honour – guided by what we learned, and strengthened by the resilience of our people,” Prime Minister Davis stated.
“To the families who still mourn: you are not alone,” he continued. “This nation stands with you, today and every day.”
Prime Minister Davis added: “In a moment, we will bow our heads in silence. In that silence, let us remember, let us give thanks, and let us renew our commitment to one another. May the memory of those we lost remain a light in our hearts. May their families find comfort. And may their lives inspire us to build a safer, stronger, and more united Bahamas.
“May God bless you, and may God bless the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”
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