Damaged caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas

Destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian at the Abaco Beach Resort in Marsh Harbor, Abaco Island, Bahamas.

An unlikely flotilla of military landing craft, private yachts and even a cruise ship came to the aid of Hurricane Dorian-battered Bahamas as relief efforts ramped up there Saturday after the monster storm.

Dorian ravaged Abaco and Grand Bahamas islands when it stalled over the Caribbean islands as a Category 5 storm for two days.

The death toll remained at 43 on Saturday, but was expected to rise dramatically, officials said, possibly into the thousands.

Survivors who have made their way out of the flooding and rubble on the two islands have described wading past bodies floating in the water as they escaped.

“We have been through this before, but not at this level of devastation,” said Marvin Dames, the Bahamas security minister.

Authorities were hampered trying to reach all of the affected areas, he said, but crews couldn’t simply bulldoze through downed trees and other rubble because they might be covering up bodies.

The runway at Grand Bahama airport, underwater for days, was finally reopened, as was a smaller airport on Abaco Island.

The United Nations said eight tons of food was set to arrive on Saturday, and the U.S. Agency for International Development announced $1 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help Bahamians, bringing USAID’s total funding to more than $2.8 million so far.

Vessels from military landing craft to yachts and other private craft arrived at the islands with aid, then ferried survivors out.

More than 1,100 Bahamians were evacuated to Palm Beach, Florida, after the Grand Celebration cruise ship delivered supplies and emergency workers to Grand Bahama, then returned with evacuees to its home port.

The British Royal Navy, American Airlines and others were rushing to help. The Coast Guard had airlifted nearly 300 survivors by late Saturday.

Meanwhile, Dorian strengthened to again become a Category 2 storm as it barreled toward Nova Scotia, threatening the Canadian island province with winds up to 100 mph, along with heavy rain and flooding.

Low lying areas were flooded as the revived storm arrived, and locals on social media reported downed trees and other damage.

A crane collapsed against an occupied building in Halifax shortly before 4 p.m., forcing evacuation of the building.

More than 300,000 homes were without power. CBC Nova Scotia reported the military was called in to help.

Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland were also in the killer storm’s path. Officials asked those living near the coast to evacuate.

The swipe at Nova Scotia was a rare third landfall for the unusually long-lasting storm.

Dorian walloped North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Friday, flooding Ocracoke Island, topping record water levels set in 1944.

Gov. Roy Cooper said it did not appear anyone was seriously injured, though the Coast Guard did airlift some residents out of the island.

“We just thought it was gonna be a normal blow,” Steve Harris, a semi-retired contractor who lost his car in the waters.

“But the damage is going to be severe this time. This is flooding of biblical proportions.”

Dorian was forecast to finally move out to sea Sunday morning.