Massive rains slow down Belize City
It’s not an unusual occurrence, as torrential rains can be counted on to inundate the country at least two or three times each year. But just because it happens regularly doesn’t mean that bad weather isn’t news. This morning, just after I had sloshed my way into work, I was sent back out again to see how Belize City residents were faring with the deluge.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The heavy rains started on Monday night and by the time people got up for work Tuesday morning most of Belize City’s streets were already underwater. The downpour was caused by a tropical wave that crossed the country and the flooding quickly disrupted traffic, business and life in general in the old capital.
Taxi driver on phone
“I’m coming right away. What happened is that there is a flood of water out here at the Cinderella Plaza Taxi.”
There was no way anyone who ventured outside could have avoided getting soaked. The water, which was knee deep in some areas, stalled cars and drivers had no choice but to temporarily abandoned their vehicles. Taxi drivers were also kept busy as many residents could not get out of their homes.
The water not only flooded the streets, but covered the floors inside many buildings.
Lucy Sabal
“When I got up this morning, it was out of my bed and directly in water. This is the first time that I have experienced this.”
Jacqueline Woods
“This is the worst it has gotten?”
Lucy Sabal
“The worst. This is the first time I’ve seen this.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So your bedroom is wet, you living room is wet.”
Lucy Sabal
“Everything. The whole downstairs here wet up.”
A lot of businesses such as Homer Dakers on Castle Street were inundated. Dakers says it is not the first time his shop has flooded, so when the rains started he made sure his supplies were high above the ground.
Homer Dakers, Store Owner
“One time I use to keep the boledo books lower and they used to get damaged. But now I put everything on a stand for when it rains.”
Jacqueline Woods
“You still decided though to open your store today.”
Homer Dakers
“The workers rang me and asked if I wanted to open and I said yes, so they came.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So what you plan to do to clean up the mess?”
Homer Dakers
“Oh, I have my boy here who is sweeping out and mopping and everything after all the water goes out of the place.”
Jacqueline Woods
“But usually on a day like this business is slow.”
Homer Dakers
“Bad. Nobody wants to come on Castle Street.”
Although the wet weather may have dampened some people’s mood it was sheer enjoyment for children who could not resist the attraction of water in the streets.
(Children swimming in water)
But as quickly as the streets flooded, by afternoon most had recovered. The general consensus was that improvements in drainage under the Belize City infrastructure project, while not perfect, have certainly helped. The National Meteorological Service reports that the worst of the unsettled weather is over for Belize and a gradual reduction in the rains is expected during the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours.
Observations recorded by the Belize Met Service showed that one point eight inches of rainfall fell in Belize City. The heaviest storms were in the Stann Creek District where some six inches were recorded at Middlesex over the past twenty-four hours. Residents in the Stann Creek Valley are being advised to be on the alert for possible flash flooding, not to mention another bout of river pollution from Del Oro’s overflowing citrus waste ponds.
