Tropical Depression Two slammed into Belize yesterday and surprised everybody with torrential rains, high wind gusts and rough seas that managed to cause heavy beach erosion in parts of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and damage some piers. The storm is moving towards the west-northwest away from the country but still posing a threat with more rain.
It is still raining in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, but the San Pedro Town Board has already sent out crews all over the town to commence the cleanup process and get the island back to normal for when the sun comes back shining bright. A group of 50 students of the Church of Christ from North Carolina volunteered to clean up the beaches along with the San Pedro Town Council. The group was here to volunteer their services at Holy Cross Anglican School, but because classes were cancelled due to the bad weather they decided to help out the community by cleaning up!
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) advises that flooding is highly likely to continue in lo-lying communities in the mainland, particularly in the Stann Creek District. NEMO has issued the following reports and advisories for the entire country of Belize:
*Schools have been closed in San Pedro and including all in the Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize, and Stann Creek districts with the exception of schools in the Cayo and Toledo districts where classes resume.
*The Macal River in the Cayo district has been reported 2ft above normal and rising and the Mopan River is 10 inches above normal and rising.
*Advisories in the Stann Creek district include:
– 4Miles Valley Road: People were rescued by MOW and Police
– Mullins River: Coast Guard has been deployed to assist with evacuating 30 people who will be sheltered in Sacred Heart Parish, Dangriga
– Sarawee: Village and road flooded along the highway to Dangriga with 2.5-4.5 feet of water; some people have been moved to shelter
– Hope Creek: Village and road is flooded and 49 people have been evacuated to the Hope Creek Methodist School Shelter
– Sittee River: Sections of the road are flooded
– Hopkins: Sections of the road are flooded
– Dangriga: Flooding from 5 Miles to Dangriga
– Miles 30 Entrance to Georgetown Village: Culvert is washed-out and impassable. (MOW working to replace colvert)
– Boom Creek: road flooded
Flooding in the mainland low-lying areas is the main concern at this moment as rain continues to fall around the country due to the storm.
