And turning now to yet another building left in ruins after Lisa, we today visited the famous Thelma's Kitchen in Yabra where the roof blew off like an overheated pressure cooker.
Our news team headed there for the lunchtime rush and saw that Thelma's staging and serving area had to change:
She has one of the most famous kitchens in all of Belize City but since yesterday, her first-day cooking post-Lisa, Thelma hasn't been in the kitchen; she's been in the service area.
Cherisse Halsall:
"I noticed though that the kitchen has moved out here beyond the counter, why is that?"
Ms. Thelma, Owner, Thelma's Kitchen
"Because the house doesn't have any top, no roofing and then the water is pouring from upstairs to downstairs and up to now water is still pouring without the top so I had to move over this side where we have a little tripling and so where the water isn't pouring so I had to come over this side."
Her home and business are just one more casualty of Lisa's onslaught and a consequence of living just two blocks from the sea.
Ms. Thelma, Owner, Thelma's Kitchen
"It gave me a whole heap of damage because the roof went and then the thing, they when the roof fell in it damaged inside my appliances and then what didn't get broken up the water damaged you know so we really need a lot of help. I need some help with the roofing."
"It was stronger than Hurricane Earl. Hurricane Earl was like water, so we had gotten a lot of flooding and water damage but this one here is just a breeze. It's the breeze that carries you some serious serious breeze and then when that blew off the roof, noh."
"The roof is gone right now they've given me a little trampoline and with the rain last night and the breeze it's just like you didn't have any trampoline so the water poured right in and the trampoline tore."
And Miss Thelma, like many others, has also been frustrated by all the storm surge mud.
Ms. Thelma, Owner, Thelma's Kitchen
"We need help with the mud the little fire truck at least come by and spray off the water because that mud is really really stink mama. It really will sicken you."
But in spite of the adversity, she's moving on with hope and a heaping serving of rice and beans with pigtail.
Ms. Thelma, Owner, Thelma's Kitchen
"Be strong and stand up and start all over you know. Still here. I'm still here strong as ever [laughs]."
