We also asked the Mayor about the deluge of rain that poured down on Belize City and other Central and Coastal areas in the country. It lasted for only a few hours, and in that time, several parts of the City were briefly inundated by flood waters.
The City Emergency Management Organization sent a press release warning residents about the heavy showers and thunderstorms affecting the City and other central and coastal areas.
That public warning noted that a flood watch is in effect for low-lying areas and the entire country.
The CEMO statement also says quote, "We expect to see a decrease in rainfall later this evening, but we urge residents to be vigilant of their surroundings." End quote.
So, did the City conduct its annual flood preparedness procedures to clear drains in preparation for the rainy season? The Mayor insisted that they did, and here's that conversation:
Bernard Wagner - Mayor, Belize City Council
"Rainfall is global, and if you visit many of the cities, many of the countries in the region, globally, you will find that whenever there are excessive rains, given climate change - the impacts of climate change -there is this tendency for flooding. Belize City is not immune to it. We didn't even have a dry season per se this year, and so the ground is really inundated already. So, what you saw this morning with the flooding is an effect of not having a dry season. We went directly - since January, it has been raining. The rainy season started actually in May, and so our drainage system continues to hold up. I believe that once you see the rain subside, you see the water runoff quickly. So, obviously, there is more work to be done. We'll be working along in the Gungulung Area with that canal. We are supposed to dredge the canal, but we have just not been able to get the long dry season or some break in the weather patterns and the rain patterns. So, as to get to this works."
Daniel Ortiz
"So, if there are citizens who take the view that improper addressing contributed to this, would you dissuade them from that opinion?"
Bernard Wagner
"Of course. Of course. Our drains are cleared. Our drains are shaped prior to the hurricane season. We have a very robust city emergency management team that we consult with on a regular basis. Prior to the season, we would normally shape all those drains, dig them out, and get them connected from the drains into the canals, from the canals to the river, and from the river into the sea. So, that area we're working on."
