Tonight there is much to report from all across Belize as the aftermath of tropical storm Arthur continues to impact the life of Belizeans across the country. The south is recovering from the most devastating flood in possibly four decades, and tonight villages in the north are living in fear of a swollen Rio Hondo.
Our teams have been in both areas. First we begin in the north – where the Rio Hondo is has cut off access to three villages and is rising. It is a trio of villages, San Roman, San Antonio and Santa Cruz along the north western edge of Belize known as the Albion Islands – so called because they are encircled by two strands of the Rio Hondo which encircle them. But tonight, those strands are swollen and closing in on those villages. Jacqueline Godwin visited two of them today and here’s her report.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
On Monday villagers living along the banks of the Rio Hondo nervously watch as the river started to rise. One day later there is no road access into at least three of the communities in the Orange District.
This is the San Roman Road. Presently it is completely impassable. It is six miles long and it takes you out to the Northern Highway. Some villagers say it is at least six feet under water. The only way you have access into San Roman Village is through the Rio Hondo by boat from Douglas Village.
Elena Gomez, Chairwoman,
“They can’t come out now to work, they can’t do nothing. They are waiting for help. The water is high.”
Manuela Toldedano, Resident
“The worries that the people have right now is that here in the village we got surrounded by water so we cannot go outside and the people that work cannot go to work, the students cannot go out, and the cane farmers that work cannot work. So everybody get worried because how will the family survive if the person in the house who is responsible cannot go to work or cannot work. So the concern right now is to try to survive this.”
Right now the villagers’ concern is that the water will continue to rise. Just yesterday the water was 8 inches below the bridge, as you can see, it is now levelled off with the bridge.”
Romeo Vasquez, Resident
“Well I am going to tell you when the water is raising up, it raises up very rapidly but coming down it takes one month.”
And the longer the flood waters remain the greater the threat of water borne diseases. So as a preventative measure a team from Public Health has been sensitizing the villagers.
Mateo Jones, Public Health Inspector
“Basically we go from house to house talking to people, giving them health education, giving them pamphlets.”
Sebastian Mendez, Public Health
“We are checking yards, checking containers that collect water like old tires, bottles. We are doing the health
education to the people to clean up their yards so there are dengue or malaria cases.”
6 miles away the situation is the same in San Antonio Village where the main road is now completely under water.
Jacqueline Godwin,
The water is rising.
Rudolfo Mendez, Chairman
“The water is rising fast because it was raining a lot and this river is growing very fast and all the people who live on the river side…"
Jacqueline Godwin,
I mean we are standing by I guess what is the only dry portion left on the San Antonio Road, everything else is completely covered by water. I notice a lot of workmen are out here clearing the road to get the boat into the village.
Rudolfo Mendez,
“Well they cooperate with the village council and their working together with the village council.”
I am sitting on a park bench on the banks of the Rio Hondo. This would be a
picturesque scene, only that I am sitting in the river. So too is the entire park.
Jacqueline Godwin,
So by tonight, how far do you think this water will be?
Lydia, Village Resident
“Way up so because yesterday you didn’t have water there, you could have crossed there. But right now there is water there. It is raising lil bit by lil bit.”
The flood waters also forced twelve persons out of their homes.
Claudia, Village Resident
“Because the water has contaminated things; animals dead and things like that and the sewerage – that thing is bad for the children.”
Jacqueline Godwin for 7NEWS.
What we didn’t cover in the story is Douglas Village, which connects to the Rio Hondo and is presently the easiest gateway to the villages in the Albion Island area. The water in Douglas which is flood prone has been rising rapidly and the river is presently almost 2 metres above the average for the river – and it is beginning to close in on the residence in the village. It is expected that tomorrow 13 people will be evacuated. Apart form those flood affected areas, school will resume normal in the Orange Walk District.
