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Baltimore Co. Woman Collecting Donations To Help Caribbean Island Of Dominica

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Gulf Coast was hit by Hurricane Nate Saturday night. Nate is the fourth hurricane to make landfall in the US since August.

The Caribbean was hit hard by Hurricane Maria, particularly the island of Dominica -- which is not a U.S. territory.

While Dominica is small, but the destruction level is massive. Rebuilding the island will depend on help, from the outside world.

Hurricane Maria hit Dominica with stinging rain and Category 5 winds.

The Caribbean island is known for its rivers. The September storm hit and made it hard to tell where the rivers end and streets begin.

It was the worst natural disaster in the country's history, and left entire communities decimated.

"It's devastation. One of my brothers put it that way: it's like a bomb hit the country. And then someone came after and burned it up," says Dillian Gordon.

She and other volunteers are collecting much-needed donations.

"They're all in desperate need of assistance. The infrastructure is gone. Hospitals. Airports. Everything has been damaged," she says.

Gordon was born in Dominica. Her family still lives there, including her 80-year-old mother, who like nearly 90 percent of Dominica's residents, is now homeless.

Unlike most of the areas affected this hurricane season, Dominica is not a U.S. Territory, so it will not get disaster relief from FEMA.

Its reconstruction depends on donations from all over the world and from organizations like the Red Cross.

"Anything is going to be useful. Canned goods and anything thing that you like to eat that is non-perishable," says David Eske.

For those that can't make it to a drop-off location, a GoFundMe page is collecting donations.

"They're in need of clothing. They're in need of everything. And that's the least I can do," says Gordon.

The volunteers are hoping to send a large container packed with supplies to the island by next month.

Hurricane Maria caused at least 79 deaths and extensive damage throughout the northeast Caribbean. If you'd like to help, check out the GoFundMe page.

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