CEMO Kicks in to Clean Drains in Case of Belize City Flooding

The City Emergency Management Organization, headed by Deputy Mayor Michael ‘Chips’ Noralez is undertaking preparatory works in the event that there is also significant flooding in Belize City.  In low-lying areas such as the Jane Usher Boulevard community in Port Loyola, the dredging of drains has been ongoing since Tuesday.  In other parts of the city, water has also overtaken streets and properties.  While the Belize City Council is doing its part to ensure the safety of residents, Deputy Mayor Noralez is also making an appeal for persons in distress to contact CEMO as quickly as possible to avoid being caught in hard to reach neighborhoods.

Michael ‘Chips’ Noralez, Deputy Mayor, Belize City Council

“We’ve been on high alert since the Met Department warned us about this depression that’s heading our way.  So all my supervisors, when it comes to drains, are all out making sure that we could clear as many outlets as possible.  Now some of the low-lying areas will definitely get some water and that’s what we’ve been working on since Monday.  If you notice the deluge that we’ve been getting, especially since Tuesday, it has us a little overwhelmed but we are getting there.  So that’s the reason I am out here this morning to make sure that we could hear from the residents and we could actually see what is happening, so we can get people on the ground to come out and do what needs to be done as quickly as possible.”

Michael ‘Chips’ Noralez

Isani Cayetano

“Now we’re looking at certain areas that are, quote on quote, troublesome, including Port Loyola as one where you have specific neighborhoods that are below the average water level and so is the same for parts of Belama.  In your assessment of these two communities, what are we looking at so far?”

Michael ‘Chips’ Noralez

“Well, Belama and Port Loyola, certain areas in Collet, they are underwater because of the basin-like area that they have.  It’s very difficult to drain those areas.  Some people want us to fill the streets because they cannot get out of their houses and so on.  What I am trying to do right now is to see how we could drain the area properly.  You would notice that in certain areas, the water catchment areas have been, they have been filled up for lots and so on, knowing that water will find its level, the water needs to go somewhere, hence the flooding of the streets and so on.  The low-lying areas, that’s what we’re working on for this week.  We are trying to make sure that these people don’t get water into their houses.”