But even as the storm appears now as if will make landfall in southern Belize, up to this morning, Felix was showing strong signs of going straight down the middle of Belize as a Category four or five storm. That would have meant sure devastation in Belize City, the country’s largest and most densely packed population center. And if the storm heads for Belize City, NEMO has advised government that it would have to order a mandatory evacuation. That’s an effort which would involve some fifty thousand people, mobilization on a scale that has not been seen in Belize’s modern history.
It is in that context, that this morning, the Governor General, acting on the advice of NEMO declared a national state of emergency. According to a government release, the state of emergency is to smooth the process of mandatory evacuation, and to make it easier for security forces to protect life and property. While the state of emergency is in effect, there is a standing price freeze on all goods and services, and no alcohol should be sold. Both of these measures are in effect countrywide.
The preliminary phase, a hurricane watch, red one was declared at 6:00 pm yesterday.
