More rains; more floods for waterlogged residents
After a waterlogged weekend, Belizeans all over the country are once again bracing themselves as more rains cause new flooding. The latest from the Ministry of Works and officials at the Meteorology Department is that the Guacamallo Bridge on the Macal River is under four feet of water; there is fifteen feet of water above the Mollejon structure, and tonight the wooden bridge between San Ignacio and Santa Elena will once again be submerged. Reports on the Hummingbird Highway indicate that the Sibun River has jumped nine feet at the Caves Branch Bridge, while in the Toledo District the Moho River, Blue Creek and Golden Stream are rising fast making it impossible for traffic to pass. Along the Western Highway, at two this afternoon, Jaguar Paw reported an eight foot rise in waters there and the Gracie Rock community is advised that the river is rising, albeit slowly. In the north, residents of Lemonal and other communities on the banks of Spanish Creek in the Orange Walk District are warned that the water is also threatening to burst its banks. Fire officials at the Corozal Station told us of two feet of water in the station today. According to Chief Engineer for the Ministry of Works, Cadet Henderson, while light traffic is being allowed to cross the Beaver Dam Bridge on the Western Highway, they have had to close it periodically and abort plans for underwater concreting that was scheduled for tonight. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods, George Tillett and Stephen Ferguson have been on the Western Highway all day and file this report.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
After a weekend of rain, this morning, the mile eight community on the Western Highway woke up to yards and streets underwater.
Patricia Vasquez
“Well we live back there and whenever the water come we have to come out. Everybody from back here have to come out. The people downstairs done gone, my mother-in-law, her house done take water.”
Peter Gabourel
“The quickness of how it came, that is coming from all that body of river water flowing down from the top. All around bout here never had any water, this is the high section of mile eight, it never had any water. And the amount of rain that fell last night, we determine that all this water around and about here is from the rain and not really from the river.”
Jacqueline Woods
“The residents who live up here at mile eight say they don’t know what really can be done to address the problem, but are hoping that those in authority can assess the situation and get something done before the height of the hurricane season.”
Patricia Vasquez
“I no think they could help it, because all about di flood out, noh only yah (here). We just have to get better drains so the water goes down faster, but I don’t think we could stop the flood, it’s nature.”
Peter Gabourel
“No kind of drainage system up here can help when this body of water is pouring from up top. The best of drains will be flooded and overflow just like the river. The river is the best drain ever and that overflows, what about this manmade drain, they will overflow too. But it’s good to put them in place anyway, it helps.”
On both sides of the Western Highway large pools of water have accumulated. At mile thirty-seven at the junction of Jaguar Paw, the water had covered a section of the highway. As residents along the Western Highway deal with the floodwaters, motorists were being allowed to slowly cross the Beaver Dam Bridge at mile thirty-nine. In Belmopan, the flood had seriously damaged some of the city’s infrastructures.
Anthony Chanona, Belmopan Mayor
“We suffered, I think major damage to the main road infrastructure that leads into the Maya Mopan, San Martin area, Salvapan area and Las Flores. I think we had a situation where we’re dealing with a phenomenal amount of rainfall over a constricted timeframe.”
Mayor Chanona says there were two situations that affected the city’s culverts and roads. While the storm drains in Belmopan have withstood the floodwaters, the water had no where to go so it spilled over into surrounding zones.
Anthony Chanona
“Where obviously the infrastructure of the storm drains did not continue. And I think that, compounded by the excessive amount of rainfall coming out of the foothills of the Maya Mountains, gave rise to the Mount Pleasant Creek, so we had two situations which affected mostly our infrastructure of culverts and roads. It just overwhelmed, there is no way we expected that amount of rainfall in so short a time.”
In Maya Mopan and its surrounding areas work was already underway to improve the situation.
Anthony Chanona
“Belmopan is eight thousand, one hundred and ten acres, Belmopan is not just the city that we see paved and nicely fixed where we have our hurricane shelters. Belmopan has sprawled into the out lying zones and it’s only fair that if they’re good enough to vote, they’re good enough to get the same infrastructure that we have in the inner city. So we thought that we would try to at least try to punch in some remedial drains to get the water out of the flood areas.
We have combined a lot of the data that we’ve been working on; we always knew what the problem was, we never did have funding to approach the problem solving. So basically what we’re trying to do is restore some of the infrastructure, obviously get the main roads flowing, where residents can get in and out of the neighbourhood. And we’re currently in discussion with the Lupp company to look at what are some design work that can be done to put in place storm drains in these outlying zones.”
The Belmopan City Council has been in discussion with private contractors and the Lupp Company to get the work done. Chanona admits that it will take time and money to achieve what they want in the surrounding areas, but stresses that the infrastructure must be improved to avoid future floods. Jacqueline Woods reporting for News 5.
According to Chief Meteorologist Carlos Fuller, rain is forecasted for the rest of the week and Belizeans can expect another ten inches.
