Wisconsin native living in the Bahamas riding out Hurricane Dorian

NASSAU, Bahamas (CBS 58) -- A Wisconsin native was in the Bahamas as Hurricane Dorian made landfall.

Brian Sauer grew up in Green Bay, went to school at UW-Milwaukee and is now a head brewer at the only brewery in the Bahamas, Pirate Republic Brewing, Co.

This is the third hurricane Sauer has experienced since moving to the Bahamas four years ago.

The brewery is located in Nassau which Sauer says did not get the worst of the damage.

He says they experienced tropical-storm-force winds, heavy rains, lost power, and communication lines were down, but he says this was nothing like the devastation in some other areas of the Bahamas like Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands.

“All the roofs are pretty much gone and then on top of that you have 7-10 feet of water still in town,” Sauer said.

He says many people are waiting to be rescued from the tops of their homes, and with many communication lines down, people aren’t able to check on their loved ones.

“Just keep all of us down here in your thoughts,” Sauer said.

Help is on the way. Team Rubicon, a group of veteran disaster volunteers, has crews headed to the Bahamas.

Team Rubicon was started by former Wisconsin Badger Football player and marine veteran Jake Wood.

Team Rubicon will also be sending volunteers to the areas in the U.S. impacted by Dorian.

“As soon as the storm clears they’ll be working with local authorities to clear roads,” Wood said. “We’ll send out teams to muck and gut these homes.”

Sauer calls Hurricane Dorian “unpredictable” and as it heads towards the U.S. he’s encouraging people to take the storm seriously.

“I would say just hunker down and just try to be in a safe place,” he said.