NEMO says it’s ready for whatever comes
While forecasters try to predict the storm’s strength, speed and landfall, other professionals are implementing plans to deal with the situation when and if Dean approaches our shores. News Five’s Marion Ali has more.
Marion Ali
Head of the National Emergency Management Organization, Colonel George Lovell, says the organization has gone into full swing, reviewing their strategy and ensuring that the necessary plans are in place.
Colonel George Lovell, Coordinator, NEMO
“There’s no such thing as weaknesses. There are areas that we really need to look at in order to try and ensure that it works quite well. For example, we have our evacuation. We have to ensure that our evacuation is done in a timely fashion, and those people who can do their own voluntary evacuation, we would like to ask that they do so. The other areas that we need to look at is transportation. We have to ensure that people are moved safely along our routes that we have, especially those people that are moving from the coastal communities and moving inland.”
On the issue of hurricane shelters in Belize City, the Belize City Housing and Shelter Management Committee held a meeting this afternoon to dot the I’s and cross the t’s. Councilor Philip Willoughby, who heads the Committee, says there are ten shelters that are worthy to withstand a hurricane, but only a category two.
Philip Willoughby, Councilor responsible for Housing and Shelter
“The shelters that has been identified can and will withstand up to a category two hurricane.”
Marion Ali
“Now the storm that we’re looking at already is a category three hurricane. What are you telling us?”
Philip Willoughby
“Well firstly, one, our main focus and advisory at this time would be to therefore evacuate the city. That is the main focus at this time, to evacuate the city, in terms of any catastrophe above a category two.”
Colonel Lovell, however, says the shelters that have been deemed worthy to withstand hurricanes have been adequately retrofitted.
Colonel George Lovell
“Starting the first of January of each year, there is a team that goes out and do hurricane shelter inspections. That team does the inspections to ensure that when these shelters are place on the hurricane shelter list, those shelters do meet the criteria for safe shelters. These shelters have been looked at by a team of engineers and these are people who I don’t really second-guess their decision. The reason for it is that they have their degree in that and I don’t have an engineering degree.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Anthony Michael says the City Council is ready and able to deal with any setbacks the old capital may encounter.
Anthony Michael, Deputy Mayor
“These plans entails mobilising residents to the different shelters within Belize City, working along with NEMO to make sure that there is adequate food, there is adequate water, the shelters are safe. They are secure both from—security officers—which the police have ensured us that they will be doing. It means making sure the streets are clear of traffic for the quick evacuation of the residents and the emergency vehicles coming into the city. If the hurricane do strike, nevertheless, we’ll have a lot of debris, we’ll have a lot of flooding, we’ll have a lot of dead animals and stuff, hopefully no human life. But the City Council is prepared and we reassure the residents of Belize City we are well prepared. We are taking all precautions. We have been in contact with some of the heavy duty construction companies, to assist in the event that if there are serious flooding, if there are a lot of debris or old houses on streets to clear the pathway, and we have gotten their reassurance they will provide heavy duty equipment to clear those areas.”
Because of the level of anxiety that accompanies the threat of a hurricane, Colonel Lovell says that it’s important for people to be calm and follow these basic guidelines.
Colonel George Lovell
“Our official media for weather type events is the Met Services, and so when you hear the Met speaking, speaking from a NEMO platform, and so I would want to advise that we do listen to them. I would also want to advise that the public—because they do have a part to play in this emergency management— they start looking at all those loose items that are around their property and try and have those secured. Try and look at some of the things that they would need in the event that we should be affected by a hurricane like Dean. Things like if they have medical conditions and needs medical supplies, go to your doctor, get a refill.”
“Things like your documents that you have for your property, and insurance and that sort of thing, make sure that you have these things in place. And also look at some of the things that you would need to sustain your family throughout a three or four-day period. Try to accumulate those things and to have them readily available; food, thing like batteries, radios and that sort of thing.”
If you would like to review NEMO’s plans this weekend you may visit their website at www.nemo.org.bz and scroll to publications. Marion Ali for News Five.
The shelters that are available in Belize City are as follows: All Saints School, Gwen Lizarraga High School, Pallotti High, Queen’s Square Anglican, Salvation Army Primary, Saint John Vianney, Saint Luke’s Methodist, Saint Martin de Porres, Saint Michael’s High School, and Trinity Methodist School.
