(CNN) The number of missing in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian has dropped significantly, to 1,300, providing a bit of rare good news in one of the nastiest storms the archipelago has ever faced.

The government said Wednesday the number of missing stood at about 2,500, but "after cross-referencing databases," officials revised the tally down to 1,300, National Emergency Management Agency spokesman Carl Smith said Thursday.

The higher number was preliminary, with some names not yet confirmed against government records, Smith had said Wednesday.

Smith has urged people to continue submitting the names of missing persons through a hotline or visiting the social services office, which is handling the missing people register.

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