And while the flood waters disrupted commerce in San Ignacio and Santa Elena, further west in Bullet Tree Village it has disrupted lives. The Bullet Tree School was opened at 10 this morning as a shelter for residents forced to leave their homes by rising waters. Our team reached there shortly after midday.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Like most of Cayo, in Bullet Tree Falls the situation is the same and maybe even worse as it continues to rain and floodwaters continue to rise.
Rita Tzec, Bullet Tree Resident
“This morning when I got up the water was right behind my fence and look where it is now. My houses is one of the places that gets flood first here in this village and it has gone up quire fast from the time I got up to now. Half hour ago there was no water out here in front and now the water is already here.”
Keith Swift,
So it is rising?
Rita Tzec,
“It is rising and it is rising rapidly from what we can see.”
Keith Swift,
So Miss Rita what will you do?
Rita Tzec,
“Well I’ve moved everything from my downstairs upstairs because my house is a high house and so I am able to take care of my stuff. Things that
are perishable I have moved it already and my machinery well we’ll be moving it to high grounds in a little while.”
And while the water is creeping into Rita Tzec’s house, it has engulfed Carlos Herrera’s home.
Carlos Herrera, Bullet Tree Resident
“This morning it was still at least say ten feet away from my house but now it is surrounding my house already so I am about to move from here.”
Keith Swift,
Have you moved out your stuff?
Carlos Herrera,
“Yes everything is out already.”
Keith Swift,
So where are you staying now?
Carlos Herrera,
“I don’t know, I am going to hit the road somewhere but I am getting out of here, that’s for sure.”
Luis Javier Torres hopes they won’t have to leave their home and that’s
why he’s been monitoring the creek.
Luis Javier Torres, Bullet Tree Resident
“I am hoping it doesn’t go much higher than this.”
Keith Swift,
Are you planning to leave?
Luis Javier Torres,
“Yeah we have arrangements to leave, at least maybe only to the center because it is not so far because the water doesn’t reach up there that much and right here the water is rising little bit by little bit and we really need to do something, we need to evacuate, we need to get out and do whatsoever we need to do.”
Keith Swift,
Has the shelter been opened?
Fiby Osgalla, Shelter Manager
“Yes it was opened from about ten to ten thirty and right now people are just coming and asking if we will keep the shelter open. We tell them yes and they say they will come back. It is mostly people from that side that are coming and asking.”
Keith Swift,
Will there be food and water?
Fiby Osgalla,
“Well mostly the first days they have to bring along what they need then further on we have to find something for them.”
Keith Swift,
How many people can you hold here at the shelter?
Fiby Osgalla,
“Well they told us thirty to forty.”
Rita Tzec,
“We had been told on the radio we would have floods, well they said it was a storm that was coming and we normally haven’t had floods like this for quite some time now.”
The bridge in Bullet Tree was still passable at 5 this evening.
