Since last week, floods have been recorded in several villages in the north. Today, flood waters are still high in several communities, including Douglas and San Roman. The communities have been mobilizing to get people to higher ground since these villages are along the rising Rio Hondo River. So far, almost seventy-five families from various […]
As flooding continues around the country, Valley of Peace farmers say that more than half of their two hundred and sixty-four thousand heads of cabbage has been damaged by flood waters and are no good. The farmers have tried their best to salvage the good ones that are in the soil and ready for harvest, […]
As you heard, the farmers believe that the flooding of their fields was worsened because of the sugar fields in neighbouring farms belonging to Valley of Peace Farms Limited. But tonight, General Manager Gilbert Canton Junior says that is not so. He says that they have proper drainage in place and that he believes their […]
The farmers are reeling right now from the losses as a result of the floods – but this loss cuts deeper, according to President of the Valley of Peace Farmers Association. He points out that this is a triple whammy for the farmers – as the drought conditions have been wreaking havoc on their crops […]
Parts of the country, in the north and central regions, are at flood stage. Residents in flood prone areas and near waterways are advised to be alert. The Hydrology Unit issued its latest flood forecast today at noon and Principal Hydrologist Tennielle Hendy says that while some rivers are in flood stage some communities are […]
The A.S.R./B.S.I. factory did its final milling around four before it closed temporarily to do some maintenance work. As we reported on Tuesday, the closure is directly related to the impact of the heavy rains and the floods. The sugar cane now has a high mud content, which affects the processing equipment and it has […]
This heavy rain is but only one climate related issue for the sugar industry. As you’ll recall, last year the industry suffered a serious drought and in the last couple weeks the low rainfall also signaled in another drought for the country. The back to back drought has taken a toll on the sugar industry […]
Many crops are under water due to recent flooding to Tropical Storm Cristobal that formed in the Bay of Campeche. Locally crops and grains are being affected in the west and as you heard earlier, the sugar industry in the north is also being impacted. Gilbert Canton Junior says the rains delayed planting of grains but […]
It is only day two of the hurricane season, but a tropical storm has formed in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico. The storm began as a tropical depression bringing heavy rainfall and flooding over Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico. The National Hydrological Service is asking citizens to keep away from flooded rivers and motorists to […]
Heavy rains over the weekend resulted in flash floods in a number of countries where deaths were recorded in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. According to the National Met Service, Belize experienced upwards of ten inches of rainfall as a result of a low pressure system that passed over the country. The heavy downpour on […]
As you heard in that story, more than twenty people are now in a shelter in Saint Matthew’s Village where they experienced flash floods over the weekend. But what exactly caused the heavy rains? The National Met Service says that early last week, there were indications that a low pressure system could develop in the […]
The hurricane season is here. Today marks the official opening of the Atlantic Hurricane Season for this year and the forecast is for an active season. The National Met Service says that for this year just about all predictions point to an above average season and this consensus is not usually seen. As Deputy Chief […]
Having an above average year for storms in 2020 brings another set of challenges and concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic. The issue of crowded shelters complicates social distancing and other health regulations and as a result may impact disaster preparedness plans. A busy hurricane season may also signal a stretching of resources especially if […]
We are a few days away from the official opening of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The outlook, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows some thirteen to nineteen storms, of which six to ten could become hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes which are of category three or higher. N.O.A.A. forecasters […]
Friends for Conservation and Development, F.C.D., has been battling for the preservation and conservation of Belize’s forest to the west for many years. For the past few weeks, the environmental group has been challenged with its latest foe, forest fires. Large portions of the Vaca and Chiquibul forests were destroyed by rampant fire; it also […]
F.C.D. has had to take up the responsibility of arresting encroachers and manning the forest to keep it from disappearing. In his article, Rath asks the question, ‘where is our B.D.F.?’ He points out that F.C.D. is not a security organization. Tony Rath, Photographer “For some reason, I am not quite sure why, they […]
A delivery man from Atlantic Restaurant on the Philip Goldson Highway escaped with his life on Sunday afternoon after the motorcycle he was travelling on suddenly combusted. Robert Thomas was making a food delivery and had just left the restaurant when as he neared the vicinity of DK’s Supermarket, the motorcycle caught fire. He quickly […]
There’s a bit of good news to report tonight as it relates to the fires that were ravaging the forests and farm lands. According to the Forest Department, the satellite mapping system didn’t record any fires this morning. This is as a direct result of the downpour the country experienced on Thursday night and this […]
Tonight, we share more from our trip out west to cover the fires that have been consuming large plots of farmlands and virgin forested areas. A small group of concerned Benque Viejo residents have taken it upon themselves to try to out the fires and create fire lines to prevent the spread and occurrence of […]
For the past two weeks we have been reporting on a spate of forest fires across Belize. Many of those fires are concentrated in the western part of the country. While the Forest Department has a new law—with heavy fines attached—that prohibits burning outside, there are still many fires recorded around the country. This week, […]
The Chiquibul and Vaca Forests have also been destroyed by wildfires, but these have decreased significantly. The rains last week doused the huge inferno that destroyed habitats and killed animals. The fires in the Vaca Forest and along the western border are believed to have been sparked by Guatemalan farmers slashing and burning in the […]
The rains last week doused the huge fires that were burning out of control in the Vaca and Chiquibul forest in the west. The damage, however, was already done. Huge areas of the forests were destroyed, several animals were killed and their habitats destroyed. The fires in the Vaca forest and along the western border […]
There was a fire over the weekend that wiped out a man’s house in Belize City. Deon Ferguson, a tourism worker from San Pedro, received a call just before eleven on Saturday night that his property in the city was on fire. But by time the flames were put out, the property was already destroyed. […]
A fire across the northern border, at a dumpsite, has been brought under control, but the smoke continues to billow, affecting residents of the area as well as of the Corozal District. According to online reports from Chetumal, the fire broke on Saturday and by Sunday; it had swept through forty percent of the dumpsite. […]
The forest fires in the west and south are having devastating consequences for wildlife. Panthera Belize, an organization that focuses on the future of wildcats, has been monitoring the situation. Recent fieldwork brought to light the reality inside the burning forest. Small creatures are unable to outrun the fires and perish. Big cats such as […]
