In the face of the tropical storm alert, food distribution in Grand Bahama was reduced and a spokesperson for the UN World Food Program said that all commutes to Marsh Harbor in Great Abaco had been suspended.
About 1,300 people are missing in the Bahamas following the hurricane, while at least 15,000 are in need of shelter, food and medical care.
More than 260 residents of brutally damaged Abaco Island arrived in the capital city of Nassau after spending more than seven hours on a government-chartered ferry, a second of which was expected to arrive overnight.
Minnis has said that the storm caused "generational devastation."
Life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds are expected along the state's coast as well as along the coasts of Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas, regardless of the hurricane's exact track, the center said.
Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency, clearing the way to bring in more fuel and call out the National Guard if necessary, and local governments distributed sandbags.
