… And in the west, residents evacuated as flooding spreads
News Five’s Duane Moody criss-crossed the northern and western highways and brings a report from affected areas in Crooked Tree Village and the Cayo District where the Chalillo dam is overflowing and flood waters are rising in low-lying areas.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Crooked Tree Village is prone to flooding, water levels of the lagoon were already rising and certain areas of the main road were under water. According to Chairman George Guest, water levels rose four metres above the street’s level in the past and the villagers are bracing for the floods that is anticipated over the weekend.
George Guest, Chairman, Crooked Tree Village
“The water is rising and rising pretty fast and the water is coming from the north so far. When it starts coming from the south and west, the road you see here right now will be five feet, maybe six feet under water. All the buses that Jerry Jex has got will go over the other side and vehicles people use to come out of the village will go to the other side. Then we have two boats; one from the B.D.F. and one from Audubon society on stand-by to take the people backwards and forwards across the lagoon. That’s when the water rises to a level where they can’t drive out the vehicles.”
Duane Moody
“Is this a norm anytime it rains?”
George Guest
“Not every time it rains, it’s just the rainy season right now is unpredictable, but this water rises every time the rainy season.”
From Crooked Tree Village we move to the Cayo District where water was coming in swiftly. Streets in San Ignacio were under water, the alternate bridge was completely submerged and residents were being evacuated. The Macal River was overflowing.
John August Jr., Mayor San Ignacio Town
“This water started coming up early this morning—yesterday and early this morning so it came up really quickly. The market has been flooded—the Farmer’s Market has been flooded so tomorrow we will have to have market day somewhere else. We still haven’t decided a venue but in the next hour or so we should have that confirmed. So the farmers that were selling there today, some of their businesses have been affected so that they cannot sell their produce. As you can see around the park, there are some people around the park are still trying to sell their local produce and some other businesses are also affected, some of the other stores we have around the market are, but apart from that I’m hoping that by the weekend it will go down. If it continues raining, the water will reach all the way up to Burns Avenue. I hope that it would stop, but the weather report is not looking too good for the weekend.”
As a precautionary measure, power was interrupted to guarantee safety but also interrupted was the flow of business. According to vendors at the Market in San Ignacio, they had to vacate in efforts to save business.
Vendor, San Ignacio Market
“The area of the road is filling up with water. What is of the market is finished—it is full. For that reason, everyone has left the market and can’t sell there. For that reason that is why you see us selling outside here because we can’t sell there at the market. We are losing money and a lot of the business here is not selling and to add it is being lost to the water. When the water rises, the vegetables are destroyed.”
NEMO says water levels are rising at an unusual four inches per hour and that the effects are unpredictable.
Pablo Chan, Chairperson, Information Committee NEMO Cayo.
“The Santa Familia area right now is flooded. Bullet Tree is flooded also, especially the low lying areas and we understand that Christo Rey is also flooded.”
Duane Moody
“What about Calla Creek?”
Pablo Chan
“Calla Creek, the river is about to run out of its banks already and people are being rescued at the moment. The way it’s looking, the river will continue to rise and as a result of that we are asking the people in these low lying areas to please come out. Don’t wait until the rescue team from NEMO goes for you. come out as early as possible.”
Duane Moody
“Is it posible for the Hawkesworth Bridge to be flooded as well?”
Pablo Chan
“In the past we haven’t seen it go under water but we don’t know. Things are happening that are unexpected. Right now places that have never been flooded are being flooding now. The Barton Creek Area we understand is flooding.”
Over the weekend, it is projected that flooding will continue in the area. Residents are asked to be alert and keep safe.
