Belizeans transition from stress to normalcy

While Belizeans countrywide breathed a collective sigh of relief, there was also business to attend to as the nation demobilized. News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports from Belize City.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
The raising of the all clear flag at around ten this morning officially ended the threat of Hurricane Felix to Belize City. A drive through the old capital today was very different than the previous forty-eight hours when thousands of anxious customers rushed to stock up on food and supplies.

James Stewart, Manager, Freetown Service Station
“It was very stressful, that’s the only way I can say it, trying to direct the traffic, having the police assistance, co-workers trying to keep them calm, they were frustrated and stuff.”

According to James Stewart, of Freetown Service Station, between Sunday morning and Monday night his pumps dispensed almost five times their normal fuel sales.

At the station, attendants pumped out seven thousand three hundred gallons in premium, five thousand six hundred gallons of regular gasoline and thirty-five hundred gallons of diesel.

James Stewart
“We were the last gas station to close, we held up until about nine-thirty and we only had diesel after that and until about at ten we closed. We were completely out of fuel so we had no choice but to close the place. And then about two o’clock we got our first shipment in the morning of fuel and I think it’s about three o’ clock to four o’ clock we got the second and we were in full swing Monday morning at six which was yesterday and all through the day it was traffic non-stop. Until last night it eased and throughout the day constantly we had to be getting shipment of fuel.”

Raju Vanjani, Manager, Manager, Publics Supermarket
“Well last couple days it’s very good business and everything good. Well we have to do hard work for everything you know.”

Gas stations weren’t the only ones with long lines and today, the staff of Publics Supermarket was busy restocking its shelves.

Janelle Chanona
“What was selling most yesterday, what was selling out?”

Raju Vanjani
“Well mostly luncheon meat, potted meat, cheese whiz, a lot of dry foods like say like soda biscuits, all the biscuits items you know, like that.”

Janelle Chanona
“So you’ll make sure you double up on those orders until the hurricane season done?”

Raju Vanjani
“Yeah, we always keep it stock right now because last time when hurricane come what me happen with us, we run out lotta things but now we keep it good now.”

Across town, Save-U Supermarket was also open for business.

Santi Castillo, Save-U Supermarket
“We’re giving a ten percent off today to bring them in. There were a lot of people that still needed to shop when we closed up late last night. I’m talking regular shopping not for hurricane, so yes, that incentive is there. And as you can see people are already coming in before the opening hours which was advertised which was three o’clock.”

And while people were shopping, not many were travelling today.

Janelle Chanona
“So you’ll leave these boats here overnight?”

Luis Noble, Manager, Operations Manager, Caye Caulker Water Taxi Assoc.
“Yes ma’m, the boats will be here so that we can start fresh in the morning and we’ll be on schedule tomorrow.”

This afternoon we found the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Terminal deserted, a stark contrast to the rush of evacuating islanders that flooded its gates over the weekend. But Operations Manager Luis Noble believes he’ll have plenty of passengers come morning.

Luis Noble, Operations Manager, Caye Caulker Water Taxi
“We’re not really transporting any passengers to the cayes for whatever reasons. The only way is if we have enough people to go then one of our boats will go out but apart from that we’ll resume our regular schedule tomorrow at eight o’clock, probably before depending on the crowd. If we have much people the boats will be going out one after the other, as long as we have the capacity for one boat, it’ll go.”

The situation was pretty much the same at the bus terminal on West Collet Canal.

Michael Godoy, Chief Transport Officer
“I really don’t understand how it’s so slow considering that a number of businesses wanted to open today but for example my department, Transport, we weren’t able to open even though we called our staff and told them they were to be in there, only two people showed up.”

But like operators at the water terminal, Chief Transport Officer Michael Godoy is confident the crowd will be back tomorrow.

Michael Godoy
“We have buses running on schedule and off schedule that in the event that we have huge numbers of people in the terminal then we’ll put in additional buses to have them move quite quickly.”

Janelle Chanona
“Is that the same situation in the districts?”

Michael Godoy
“Yes, we are doing the same thing particularly in Dangriga because we had a number of people that had gone up to Dangriga and now they want to come back from Dangriga to Belize City.”

One person who did travel today was Libertad resident Nicole McDougal. She and her children had sought refuge in the Belize District during the hurricane scare.

Nicole McDougal, Libertad Village Resident
“We went through Dean in Corozal and em, well we said that Felix would have been much rougher but with the grace of God, he turned it back.”

Janelle Chanona
“Are you glad you left? That you were in Belize City?”

Nicole McDougal
“Well not in Belize City cause I wouldn’t have stayed in Belize City but I was glad everybody moved out and were well prepared so that everybody could keep prepared at all times.”

And that’s exactly what emergency management officials plan to do throughout the rest of the hurricane season.

Today cadets in the Belize Defence Force were hard at work packaging more than two thousand food bundles that will be stored at strategic locations to ensure a better response time during an emergency.

Major Francis Thomas, Officer Commanding, Service and Support Battalion
“We are providing or putting together some family pack for NEMO where we are putting together some milk, meat items, flour, sugar, and rice for the families who may be affected by the disaster.”

Janelle Chanona
“How many family packages will be put together?”

Major Francis Thomas
“We are looking at over two thousand family packages and this will cater for a family of four for about three days.”

The food items are supplied by the National Emergency Management Organization. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.