Flood destroyed houses; but Hope Creek Residents receive new homes

June first will mark one year since Tropical Storm Arthur dumped torrential rains over Belize’s Maya Mountains. And after days of the downpour, riverbanks overflowed and the waters rushed onto flat plains. The result was devastating. Marion Ali went back south today and has an update from two of the areas affected by Arthur.

Marion Ali, Reporting
No one remembers Tropical Storm Arthur better than the folks at Melinda Forest Station and Sittee River Village. They were the ones most severely affected when rapid flood waters rushed through their villages. The waters swept many houses off their foundations and left eight people dead. But when we revisited almost one year after the tragedy, we discovered old houses being demolished in the flood-prone area. And in a new section of the village off the Coastal Road new government houses measuring twenty by twenty-five feet have already gone up for the Melinda Forest Station residents in Hope Creek and the North Stann Creek River was nothing like it was on June first, 2008. And the rage of the river is what prompted people like Helly Morataya to move into her new home.

Helly Morataya, Flood Victim
“I move bout one month and a half; about two months aback and its good. I like it.”

Marion Ali
“It’s a little different area though? Over here is different from there.”

Helly Morataya
“Oh yes its very different because this piece of land higher than yonder. Ih lee bit higher so you know if wah flood woulda come ih would have to be a big flood fi mek ih come inna di house.”

Marion Ali
“You feel safer here?”

Helly Morataya
“Yeah. Of course.”

Principal of Hope Creek Government School, Verna Villafranco says she also feels the school and the children are much safer at their new location.

Verna Villafranco, Principal, Hope Creek Government School
“I believe it’s safe. I don’t know think no flooding will occur because the land was filled up by N.E.M.O. So I don’t think it is going to affect us and there is draining in the community so that will help a lot.”

Marion Ali
“You lived in one the house in the old site as well. You had to relocate over here?”

Verna Villafranco
“No, I moved into my own property because I had a house over this side so I moved away because I lived like three or four yards from the riverside. So I’m at home.”

But while several families are at home at a new location, many more are still waiting to make the transition. And they are hoping to move before the hurricane season opens on June first.

Cynthia Acosta, Flood Victim
“But right now we can’t move because I have a lot of things and they no wah fit in the house. So right now I di put on wah addition; a hall and wah veranda so I guess we wah soon move after that finish noh.”

Marion Ali
“So how soon you looking at because the new flood season almost here again? June first is right here.”

Cynthia Acosta
“I know. I guess inna two months time if they give we that time fi move.”

Anres Diego, Flood Victim
”Dehn finish build the house dah Pamona already right. Dah Pamona my house located. Weh I deh pan right now dah some partition and plastering. So as soon as we finish with that then we wah move out ah di house cause dat dah di agreement. You finish plaster up and thing den yoh relocate.”

Marion Ali
“You di try mek it before the next flood season?”

Andres Diego
”Of course I wouldn’t want that come ketch mi yah again.”

Andres Diego’s entire house was swept off its foundation and carried almost sixty feet away where it now rests.

Andres Diego
”When the flood come down last year we mi locate some way round here. Right yah so di house mi deh and later on ih wash weh and thing and we just salvage wid wah lee help aid from here and there and so forth right. And so far well, we really appreciate everything I get so far.”

Marion Ali
“So dat weh deh over deh dah di original house weh unu mi live in ah?”

Andres Diego
“Dat dah di original house.”

Marion Ali
“So dah deh ih wash gone?”

Andres Diego
“Mmhmm.”

While they are grateful to Government for the new houses, they are also nostalgic about the place they have called home over the years.

Cynthia Acosta
”It feel strange after living here so long that I have to move.”

Andres Diego
“I still like the areas you noh. I deh right yah and if I didn’t have to move, no problem but I wouldn’t want live right yah neither. So I just have to live wid weh I got.”

We are happy to note that the nightmare that Tropical Storm floods caused to Mark Ritchie at mile twenty on the Hummingbird Highway has also transformed into new hope as he too has received a new home. Reporting for News Five Marion Ali.

Mark Ritchie lost his entire family, his house and all his belongings to the flood.