Record rains drown most of Belize

For the past week, most of the country has been underwater, following a daily dose of several inches of rain. Tonight weather experts explain that while the high levels are a surprise, we should use the experience to prepare for what is expected to be one of the wettest rainy seasons in recent memory.

Ramon Frutos, Weather Forecaster
?After reviewing the records and the data that we have collected so far we can safely say or officially announce that the rainy season is here.?

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
According to the weather experts, this year the rainy season started one week early and its first downpours have been daily deluge of water. Localized flooding has set unprecedented records throughout the country, especially in the southern districts.

Ramon Frutos
?As we can see from the records Jackie, since the twenty-first of May which was Sunday to the twenty-fifth of May and up to nine o?clock this morning we have accumulated eighteen point six inches of rainfall at Pomona and fifteen point six inches at Melinda. Most of the rainfall that occurred during this week was concentrated in the Stann Creek District or across the Stann Creek District and southern Belize District. But the highest concentration was along the Stann Creek Valley. After the accumulation of about eight or ten inches in the lower Stann Creek Valley, localized flooding was occurring on the North Stann Creek River and also its tributaries. And this morning we got reports and even yesterday we got reports that the Coastal Road or Manatee Road the part that?s closer to the Hummingbird, the junction with the Hummingbird Highway was also flooded.?

The rains are apparently the result of a late cold front and an early tropical wave in the Caribbean. Both systems merged and created heavy rains and thunderstorms.

Ramon Frutos
?What happened over the weekend and during this week was that we had a tong or an influx of moisture coming from the Pacific across Northern Central America, Yucatan and into the South Eastern Gulf. And that strain of moisture continued right through the whole week.?

In Belize City the usual hotspots quickly drowned under all that water. Weather Forecaster Ramon Frutos says unless work is done to improve the drainage system in the old capital, these scenes are previews of coming attractions.

Ramon Frutos
?So what we need to reduce the flooding, the localized flooding outside the Belize City area, and the Belize City area is to improve the drainage. This will continue because as we move further into the rainy season the rains will continue to be aggressive.?

The good news is that predictions show a reduction in rainfall activity over the weekend.

Ramon Frutos
?Yes if you are doing you?re washing or your laundry it is better to do it on Sunday. People who want to do outdoor activity have to realize that the ground is saturated now.?

Over the past four to five days Belize City received about eight inches of rainfall. The Philip Goldson International Airport had a total of seven point seven inches of rainfall. At the Melinda forecaster station a total of fifteen point six inches of rainfall was recorded and the Pomona received the highest amount of rain, eighteen point six inches. Normally, the country would receive between two to three inches of rainfall at the start of the rainy season.