And those words of encouragement are needed tonight - especially in north Stann Creek and the Belize District. The latest forecast models put the storm landing just north of Gales Point - which is closer to Belize City.
And that's why Belize City residents are preparing for the worst. Smaller storms in the past have led to massive flooding and structural damage, so residents are doing all they can to ensure the safety of their families and their property. That included securing their windows and stocking up on groceries. Today, our news team drove through the streets of the city to speak to the residents who spent the day getting ready for Lisa's landfall. Courtney Menzies has this story.
As Tropical Storm Lisa looms closer to Belize, residents across the country are boarding their windows, buying their canned foods, and filling up on gas in preparation.
It's projected to make landfall as a category one, but here in Belize City, many residents aren't taking any chances. They're bracing for the winds, the rains, and especially the floods, which would prevent them from being able to leave their homes.
But as the threat of a hurricane nears, residents we spoke to say they're feeling prepared.
Courtney Menzies:
"Do you remember ever going through a hurricane?"
Claudio Mai, Belize City Resident
"Yes, Hurricane Earl."
Courtney Menzies:
"And how are you feeling now that another one is coming?"
Claudio Mai, Belize City Resident
"Um, a bit surprised because they just announced it like... although it was tropical depression, it just came sudden that it turn a category 1 like before it due time."
"Last night, me and my dad board up the windows and we're buying groceries, sent my aunt out to buy some groceries, and then stocked up on water and stuff like that, basic needs."
Courtney Menzies:
"Do you all feel safe in this house?"
Claudio Mai, Belize City Resident
"Yes, I feel safe in the house, because Hurricane Earl already gave us the experience so this time we feel more ready."
"I'm just expecting, since it's a category 1, slight wind, rain, yes the street will be flooded but nothing too serious."
Jordan Greenwood, Belize City Resident
"We're just putting up plywood over the windows just to make sure nothing breaks, we have glass windows, just to prevent anything from hitting against the glass and breaking it, just costing repairs."
Courtney Menzies:
"And what other preparations have you guys been taking?"
Jordan Greenwood, Belize City Resident
"Well, we've been stocking up on food, can food mostly, just in case because you can never be too sure what could happen. And just water, basically, just making sure we have our basic needs met so that we could survive for however long we need to."
Courtney Menzies:
"Does your area flood?"
Jordan Greenwood, Belize City Resident
"Here, yes, here is prone to flooding yes."
Courtney Menzies:
"Does that concern you that it might get into your house?"
Jordan Greenwood, Belize City Resident
"Well, that's our main concern yes, last flooding, it didn't really reach up, but the one earlier this year that was very severe, water started flowing in so we just need to make sure we have everything there. We got the pool noodles and we cut them open so that we could put them under the door to stop water from coming in, in the event that it does flood that much."
Courtney Menzies:
"But in general, how are you feeling? I know it's been maybe couple years since we've had a hurricane, and it's more than that since we've had a really bad hurricane, so how are you guys feeling with Lisa approaching?"
Jordan Greenwood, Belize City Resident
"To be honest, I don't feel any kind of way, I just prepare as need be. At the end of the day, we're prone to flooding, so we just have to make sure, whenever any heavy rain hit, we just make sure we're prepare for it, and it the event of a hurricane, you prepare the same way."
And today, residents were rushing to stores like Benny's Home Center for their hurricane essentials like flashlights and rubber boots.
Brandon Bennett, Marketing Representative, Benny's Home Center
"We'd like to encourage, first of all, all Belizeans to be safe during this hurricane that's coming, and we have a lot of hurricane essentials including some reductions on prices on stuff like plywood. Right now we do have half an inch thick plywood going for $99.06 so we've actually lowered the price so people can come in and try to get your stuff nail up, nail up your door, nail up your windows and besides that, we have stuff like lanterns, we have gas canisters, raincoats, bulbs, everything that you need including first aid kits, radios, everything that would be essential to prepare for this upcoming hurricane."
"We see a lot of people coming in to get the same essentials, plywood essentially, but small stuff as well like raincoats and something that's going pretty fast is that we actually have this foam filler, it's like a spray can that you can use to patch up any holes, any cracks, if you have a crack in your wood door, any stuff that you need to hurry fill without using silicone that's actually weather resistant as well."
Brandon Bennett, Marketing Representative, Benny's Home Center
"Benny's also owns one of our entities, B-Mart, we encourage everyone to come out, go to B-Mart, it has a lot of the essentials you would need on the grocery side of things and it's actually right on the other side of the compound, so you can come out, get the stuff you need in terms of hardware and essentials and go across the B-Mart to get your groceries that you need."
And supermarkets across the city also had crowds, including Publics - which saw customers streaming out with carts full to capacity.
Belize City Resident
"Rice with chicken, and some flour. And what else? Some toilet paper, because last time it ran out, right."
Courtney Menzies:
"Are you worried about your house and your property too?"
Belize City Resident
"No honey, you got to worry about yourself first, you understand? Material things, you can get that *obscenity* back."
Mario, Belize City Resident
"The way how I see it, hopefully it doesn't pick up strength and turn to a hurricane, but I'm still preparing, I'm doing a little shopping, maybe it will be for two days, buy your groceries, sausage, bread, everything that easy to eat. Sometimes you can't buy your stuff or your gas tank in shelters and so. Just buy easy stuff like things in can food or anything that could be easy to eat, like ramen in a pack too, definitely easy to cook."
Courtney Menzies:
"And what about your house, did you do anything to your house to secure it?"
Mario, Belize City Resident
"Yes, actually, as I reach I will start to prepare, I'll do the shutter on the windows and stuff."
And apart from securing windows and doors, some residents grabbed their rakes and shovels to clean out their drains to try and slow the flooding down.
And the men from the Flamboyant Street area brought out the few tools they had to assist their neighbors as well.
Christopher Welch, Belize City Resident
"This morning we're cleaning up the drains so we don't have any floods and thing in the neighborhood, so we're just cleaning what we can clean up for the morning. We're trying to get together and try to make everything, try work and thing, because we don't want anybody in danger with a lot of water in their house and mud and thing so we just the try do our best and thing, we and our brothers in the hood. Everybody is trying to clean out the drain, who all have clog out and thing just the try clean up and thing, because we know what is going on, hurricane is coming right now, we just have to ready because we don't know what will happen to us."
As for now, the entire country of Belize is bracing itself for Lisa's imminent arrival.
As we told you, the latest 6:00 pm storm track has the storm track just north of Gales Point and closer to Belize City. Plus - we know the heaviest winds are concentrated at the north of the storm - indicating that Belize City could get a hard hit. Again, this is just a forecast and it can still make landfall anywhere along the coast - which is why all of Belize is under a Hurricane Warning tonight.
