Most of the Belize River Valley remains under flood water tonight. In fact instead of receding, in most villages the water is showing signs of increasing. That is the story in Maypen, Ranchos Dolores, and today in Lemonal where the rising water has forced its 125 residents to higher ground. But as we found out when we visited this morning with the Coast Guard, Lemonal residents didn’t run far from the flood waters.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Today Lemonal was accessible only by boat. The steadily widening Spanish Creek has enveloped the village’s streets, trees, and now its homes – making it look like one giant lake. But submerged under the water are homes - one of which belongs to 82 year old Florence Sutherland who has lived in Lemonal for 60 years.
Florence Sutherland, Lemonal Resident
“We don’t know how far it is because we came out from Tuesday.
I haven’t gone back yet because I can’t go in this water.”
Keith Swift,
How long have you lived there?
Florence Sutherland,
“All my days, I married 61 years now. I don’t feel too good because all my things must have gone under water. Our house is five feet over the water and I don’t know how high it is right now because from I came I can’t go back.”
Keith Swift,
What are you going to do?
Florence Sutherland,
“I have to stay here until the water goes down.”
Arthur Banner left his home on the condition that he got to take his prized herd of pigs with him.
Arthur Banner, Lemonal Resident
“I see how the house was under water and I had to leave this morning. I didn’t want to leave my house but they said I have to come out or they would take me out. I would have stayed right there until I couldn’t bear it anymore because I didn’t want to leave my things there. My poor fowls I am sorry for because all of them are on trees looking into water and I didn’t want to leave my house.”
Keith Swift,
And you didn’t want to leave without your pigs.
Arthur Banner,
“No man, I would go without them because those are my life saver. That is my money.”
Rosenda Herron’s home isn’t under water but it is surrounded by
two feet of it. She and her daughters now live on a virtual island, which she says she feels safe on – even though the water is rising.
Rosenda Herron, Lemonal Resident
“Today I can’t come out there to walk on the road because I have ground itch, my foot is swollen so I stayed home better.”
Keith Swift,
Why didn’t you leave your house?
Rosenda Herron,
“Well I feel safe and my house is high. The only thing is the dogs, I want them to stay out there but they don’t want to stay out there.”
Keith Swift,
How have you been getting out of your house?
Rosenda Herron,
“Yes I have been walking through the water. It is not safe but I go and I leave them here.”
Keith Swift,
What exactly are your needs right now?
Rosenda Herron,
“Well right now I don’t need because yesterday we got things.”
Keith Swift,
You have light and water?
Rosenda Herron,
“Yes I have electricity.”
About two families are staying here at the Anglican Church. This is supposed
to be a hurricane shelter but it too is surrounded by water. At 2 pm the water was at my knee. And that’s why Norman Smith and his family have been camped out at the Anglican school since Tuesday.
Norman Smith, Lemonal Resident
“I moved out and came to the community center because we’ve been getting reports from the radio from ever since the weather started up in Cayo and I decided I am too old to take chances and I have five beautiful daughters, I didn’t want to lose any – especially my wife.”
Keith Swift,
Have you been back to your house, is your house under water?
Norman Smith,
“Well right now my house was built six feet off the ground and it maybe it is six inches above the water right now. The water just kept coming up and coming up and coming up.”
Cyril Banner is already counting his losses from those waters but he refuses to move.
Cyril Banner, Lemonal Resident
“Sheep, horse, I got 12 dogs and about 11 horse.”
Keith Swift,
Why haven’t you evacuated?
Cyril Banner,
“Because from when this flood start we didn’t have no place to evacuate, we had to stay right in our houses. Now they bring the new system and new thing and they get lot of new instruments and those instruments, I could teach them about the floods, I could tell them about these waters and people who are giving them wrong information because Crooked Tree can’t shove now water back in here. This current going down.”
Keith Swift,
But if I see correct, this current is strong.
Cyril Banner,
“Very strong, very strong but I tell you it hasn’t come to the height yet.”
Keith Swift,
What is that height?
Cyril Banner,
“This is the height right yah, this is my mark right here, when water comes to this height here.”
And if the water continues to rise – that will be sooner rather than later.
Of the 125 residents in Lemonal, only four families are staying in shelters. Later on, we’ll tell you about the work being done to make sure River Valley residents don’t get any flood related illnesses.
