Desperate for food, water and shelter, survivors of Hurricane Dorian, which pulverized the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm, were anxiously awaiting relief on Friday as teams searched through rubble of collapsed homes for bodies.

At least 30 deaths have been reported from the monster storm but hundreds — perhaps thousands — of people are missing and Bahamian officials said the final toll could be “staggering.”

Thousands of people were left homeless on the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco and many were becoming frustrated with the speed of relief and evacuation efforts.

“No water, no food,” said James Whell of Marsh Harbour, the largest town on Abaco, which had a population of more than 15,000 pre-hurricane and was the hardest-hit island along with nearby Grand Bahama.

“My plan is to leave, find some other place to live,” Whell said.

Ronald Samuel and his wife, Kimberley Samuel, shelter with their children at Marsh Harbor airport in the Bahamas. (AFP)

According to UN relief officials, more than 70,000 people — virtually the entire population of Grand Bahama and Abaco — are in need of assistance after the storm reduced homes to matchsticks and destroyed people’s livelihoods.

The US Coast Guard and private organizations have been evacuating residents of Abaco and other islands to Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas which is located to the south and was spared the wrath of the hurricane.

The multinational relief effort, which also includes Britain’s Royal Navy and several non-governmental organizations, has been hampered by flooding damage to airport runways, destroyed piers and docks and downed communications.

“We’re stuck for now,” said David Bienami of Marsh Harbour. “We’ve got plans to move but we don’t know when.”

The scale of the devastation has left many wondering if Abaco, in particular, can ever be rebuilt.

Abaco Island is like a ghost town,” said Mark Duvinie, a resident of Marsh Harbour. “No electricity, no water, no nothing.”

“I honestly believe Abaco is finished,” said Thaah Hepburn, another Marsh Harbour resident. “Absolutely everything is gone.”

“I don’t think people are going to invest anymore because of the devastation,” Hepburn said. “It’s a chance I don’t think people are willing to take.”

Haida Guillaume, another Marsh Harbour resident, was slightly more optimistic.

“Nothing is impossible but it will take a long, long time to recover,” Guillaume said. “It’s 100 percent devastated all over.”

As survivors began the first steps in rebuilding their lives, arrangements were being made to take care of the dead from the storm and the Bahamian authorities were seeking to account for the missing.