Rural Belize Bracing for Worse as Water Levels Continue to Rise
Everywhere, the floods are causing damage to infrastructure and property, though fortunately, there has been no loss of life. The western and southern parts of the country are hard hit and rural Belize residents are bracing for what is to come with the overflow of the Belize River and the Crooked Tree Lagoon. News Five’s Duane Moody was in rural communities and has the following report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
We headed to rural Belize today where the evidence was clear – water levels are rising along the Belize River and streams as well as the Crooked Tree Lagoon, a known catchment area for flood waters. Residential properties and resorts, along the bank of the river, are filling up with water. Kimberly Segura, the president of the Community Disaster Response Team in Burrell Boom, says that overnight the bank of the river was taken in by water and it is expected that by tonight, water levels would reach the street.
Kim Segura
Kim Segura, President, Community Disaster Response Team, Burrell Boom
“I marked out there with a stick and by this morning when I got up, it was all gone. I came this morning again and I marked this area with another stick, just to monitor between this morning and this afternoon to see how far and how fast the water is coming up and the water is coming up very fast.”
Karen Frimpong
Karen Frimpong, Chairlady, Burrell Boom Village
“Here usually be the first area to flood and then we have another area in Beverly Hills that usually flood also. The highway on the other side by the bridge that always be flooded too; Fresh Pond always have floods also. So those are the main areas that usually have flood. But for now, nobody have called to evacuate from where they’re at.”
Belize Rural NEMO Coordinator, Alpheus Gillett says that based on official information reaching the emergency operation centre in Sand Hill, the situation will deteriorate as the Crooked Tree Lagoon is almost at capacity.
Alpheus Gillett
Alpheus Gillett, Belize Rural Coordinator, NEMO
“At this point, all waterways are mostly to their maximum capacity. Crooked Tree is one of the biggest water catchment and it is almost to its maximum capacity and so we will start to see problem within the River Valley; all these villages that lies along the Belize River, we will start to see some problems later on over the weekend. Most of the water we are seeing here right now is from the local rain in our area, but we are anticipating the bulk of water coming down from the west sometime over this weekend, hence the reason we are preparing.”
Further east, in the sprawling village of Ladyville, the situation is dire. A portion of the Philip Goldson Highway – between the cut-off to Price Barracks and Low’s Supermarket – is under three to four feet of water. It is impassable by smaller vehicles and many are diverting onto Perez Road to travel through the village. The Los Lagos and the Vista del Mar communities are also battling with homes under water.
Bernard Bennett
Bernard Bennett, Chairman, Ladyville
“I’ve noticed Vista del Mar area, which is close to the sea, the water has risen in that area. The falcon street area, the Mitchell Estate area, the Los Lagos area—the north side of Los Lagos is flooded—and also we have the highway from the Shell Gas Station to the B.D.F. Airport Camp junction road is completely flooded.”
Residents are being advised to monitor the situation as it continues to evolve.
Alpheus Gillett
“We have all the village emergency committees in ready mode action and we have our emergency committee, district emergency in place and we have assistance from the B.D.F. in terms of boats, transportation, we are ready in the event. If you know you are living along the flood prone areas, try to move out to the nearest shelter as soon as possible before it is too late.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
