Belize City hopes for the best, prepares for the worst
When you’re not really sure where a storm is going, trying to decide whether to stay or go is never an easy decision. That’s the situation in which residents of Belize City find themselves tonight. Today I made the rounds in the old capital to see how preparations were going.
Jacqueline Godwin
Today as Belize City residents rushed to finish their hurricane preparations people anxiously stocked up on food supplies, plywood and water. There were also long lines at the gas stations. Fishermen in the mouth of the Belize River were busy moving their vessels to safety as the Belize City Swing Bridge was swung to allow the boats to head up the river.
Since Sunday, the City Emergency Management Organization has been meeting to take the necessary steps to protect lives and property in the old capital.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor, Belize City Council
“We will ensure that we will do our best to disseminate information in a timely manner, we will do our best in terms of ensuring that the culverts, the drains, the streets are cleared.”
Because Belize City is only one to three feet above sea level it is prone to flooding, witness what occurred last week following the passage of a tropical wave. Since midday shelters have been opened to accommodate people who live in vulnerable areas and have no to place to go. Belize City mayor Zenaida Moya explains why residents in the old capital should remain vigilant even though it appears that Felix poses a bigger threat to the south.
Zenaida Moya
“For my Belize City residents it doesn’t matter even if it’s a category two hurricane as along as it hovers over us a while and it pounds Belize City in terms for rains, we will be receiving flooding.”
Moya says if the storm changes its course and heads for Belize City they will be making available fifty buses to evacuate residents out of the old capital.
Dr. Alvaro Rosado, C.E.O., Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital
“the plan calls for us to evacuate the hospital no matter what because the hospital has not been deemed to be able to stand any hurricane.”
This morning The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital initiated its hurricane plan that includes transferring twelve children and twelve adults to Belmopan.
Dr. Alvaro Rosado
“NEMO has requested, and we agreed that the people in Belize City who remain and there will be people who will stay here, not everybody will evacuate; these people deserve to have some kind of medical attention. If we can do so without endangering the lives of our K.H.M.H. staff we intend to do that. … We are hoping to get a volunteer team to agree to stay at K.H.M.H. to provide emergency services even throughout the storm. So that is in the process now that we’re working on.”
The police department has also been fully mobilized to make sure that law and order is maintained.
A.C.P. Allen Whylie, O.C. Eastern Division
“You will see an increase presence of police on the streets as well as B.D.F; we’ve had some additional B.D.F. officers. We will be implementing our twelve hours shift system as from six p.m. this evening; and definitely residents can be reassured that we will be here. There is no plan at this point in time for evacuation of the police, but in the event that the storm and the winds become too much to bear, I’m definite the order will be given and then we will be withdrawing to safe areas, but officers will be deployed to all hurricane shelters, as long as they are open. And we’ll be there for the duration.”
Belize City residents are being advised to stay tuned to the local weather report and be ready to move if the need arises.
