Dean nears the coast; nation battens down
We’ve been tracking him for a week and sometime tonight or early tomorrow, Hurricane Dean will make his rendezvous with Belizean history as he comes ashore with sustained winds of over one hundred and fifty miles per hour just north of the Belize-Mexico border. Our reporters and cameramen fanned out countrywide today and we’ll begin our coverage in Belmopan where Marion Ali, spoke to officials of the National Emergency Management Organization.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The skies over the Western Highway were ominous and the traffic heading west heavy this afternoon with residents seeking higher grounds. In Belmopan the National Emergency Management Organization shared details of their plans while Acting Chief Met Officer, Ramon Frutos made projections of how Dean could affect the country tonight.
Ramon Frutos, Acting Chief Met Officer
“Dean because of its speed, it’s a different situation than a regular storm that you mentioned like Mitch and the other ones that just came and were moving at a very slow rate or were quasi stationary just offshore Belize. So Dean had a different characteristic as such.”
“Because there is a margin of error with the projection it’s possible that the landfall of Dean could be a bit to the north or a bit further to the south. If it should shift further to the south then it will change the pattern of wind flow or the pattern of the wind flow across the country and hurricane force winds could extend further to the south.”
The projections have prompted thousands of people to evacuate San Pedro and Caye Caulker, according to Minister in charge of NEMO, Godfrey Smith. For those who remain, however, NEMO has since implemented key decisions.
Godfrey Smith, Minister in charge of NEMO
“NEMO took the decision to put in place a curfew in relation to the cayes, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Corozal, Orange Walk and the Belize District that will take effect from eight p.m. this evening until further notice sometime in the morning. As well a price freeze has been declared and put into effect by NEMO, acting through its chairman, the Prime Minister, in relation to basic necessaries and supplies in relation to hurricane preparedness.”
As far as preparedness is concerned, NEMO National Coordinator, Colonel George Lovell said the organization has been focusing on two areas.
Col. George Lovell, National Coordinator, NEMO
“ When you look at the list of shelters that we have you will agree that it doesn’t seem sufficient in looking at the population and the amount of people that may want to vacate those low lying and coastal areas. Those are the two main areas I would see as the challenges that we have, having first of all to get people to move and move early and secondly to areas where they can be safely accommodated as the system passes us.”
NEMO advises people to listen to local broadcasts, to track Dean’s movement and to find out when the all-clear is given.
For the latest updates on Dean’s location and specific instruction from NEMO and other authorities viewers are asked to tune in to our local radio stations. Watching the Weather Channel and C.N.N. is fine but there is no substitute for the local expertise and advisories that only our own professionals can provide.
