The US is ready to urgently issue visas for victims of the Dorian hurricane in the Bahamas who want to evacuate to the US, the US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

The US Embassy in Nassau is open for emergency visits for visas, and the border posts of the US Customs and Border Service are preparing for a situation in which the Bahamas will ask for a temporary relocation to the United States, the department said in a statement.

The US does not cancel the visa regime and all visitors will be required to have a valid passport and an American visa, they added.

According to the statement, heads of border points can decide at their discretion and will consider all emergency circumstances in each case on the basis of all existing laws and standards.

The IMB also recommended that any evacuation from the Bahamas to American territory be coordinated with the authorities of the two countries. The ministry assured that the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army charity will continue to help the Bahamians who want to move to the United States.

Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas on 1 September and destructively damaged the infrastructure of Abaco Island, located in northern Bahamas. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported that 13,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in the Bahamas. 43 people became victims of the hurricane.