Torrential rains also caused flooding in Dangriga

The past twenty-four hours in Belize have been wet ones, with rains beating most of the country for hours at a time. Aside from the City, there has been flooding in different districts to different extents. One of the districts which is always prone to flooding is Dangriga, and particularly Dangriga Town, where specific parts of that municipality are completely covered with water whenever there are heavy rains. And this period of heavy rainfall did produce the anticipated results, as Dangriga’s NEMO Chairman and Mayor, Gilbert Swaso, reported today.  According to Swaso, even while working to alleviate the flooding in large residential areas in the short term, they are looking for a long term solution to the problem.

Gilbert Swaso

Gilbert Swaso, Mayor, Dangriga Town

“Dangriga experienced torrential rainfall last night, between the hours of eleven p.m. and four this morning that caused some flooding in the Wagerale Area and New Site Area and Rivas Estate Area. The Dangriga Town Council since early this morning conducted an assessment and evaluated the situation and we noted that the areas that are most affected are those that are in the low-lying areas mentioned above and these areas are also within the flood prone areas. But the Council also noted that some of the drains are blocked in those areas and noticed that they are blocked as a result of debris that is thrown into the drains by the residents. That also caused the flooding. The residents also fill in most of the drains with a view to build driveways for their vehicles to be parked in their respective yards. Again, this also contributed to some of the flooding, beside the torrential rains. I must also mention that some of the streets and areas that are flooded are the very same street and areas which were flooded during Tropical Depression number two in June earlier this year. As a result of the rain last night the Council responded and cleared most of those drains and the waters have now receded. What we are doing is that we are putting together a project proposal with the view that we will be able to clear most of those canals which were constructed way back in the late seventies, early eighties. A lot of those have not been maintained in any way or form. And the town has developed tremendously after that time as well. So we are putting together a project proposal with the view then that we’ll be able, in the first instance, to clear those canals that are existing that need to be cleared, but at the same time to put a costing and be able to construct new drains in those recently developed areas with a view then to alleviate the flooding that is taking place here in Dangriga.”