Villages on Rio Hondo are isolated

Rivers continue to rise in much of northern Belize and concern now focuses on both the human and economic suffering occasioned on the mainland in the aftermath of hurricane Keith. An extensive aerial survey by News Five this morning showed that a number of communities have been hard hit by floodwaters in the Belize, Orange Walk and Corozal Districts. As we first reported on yesterday’s newscast the village of Crooked Tree is no longer accessible by road. This view from the air shows that the causeway is covered by many feet of water for what appears to be several miles. The rising waters are also beginning to flood numerous structures along the lagoon, including houses and resorts.

Moving to the Orange Walk District the major trouble spot is the Rio Hondo. Blue Creek appears to be the hardest hit and that Mennonite community’s vital production of rice and cattle will be curtailed for perhaps as long as a year. Those viewers familiar with the area will notice that the endless sea of green fields has now become… just a sea.