As you heard earlier Beryl is projected to make landfall on the Yucatan peninsula late Thursday night. But Belizeans have not wasted time in preparing, especially in the more vulnerable areas. For San Pedro town, voluntary evacuations have already started and residents are rushing to get off the island while they still can.
And while you're probably thinking you'd do the same if you lived there, other residents will be weathering the storm and hoping for the best.
Courtney Menzies visited the town today to get a feel of the atmosphere as Beryl approaches. Here is that story.
Right now as Hurricane Beryl inches closer to Mexico, there are two types of San Pedranos - the ones with their exit plans off the island, and the ones who will stay, come what may.
For the past two days, NEMO has been working in Belize Rural South to ensure there are no lost lives, and little if any damage to property.
Vanessa Parham, District Emergency Coordinator, BRS
"Our preparation was in place, as you know we're very vulnerable at these islands and so what we have been doing is encouraging the public of early evacuations and to take heed and caution of that. We're carefully and keenly and closely monitoring the path that Beryl is taking however we do still anticipate that we're going to get wind damages and wave damages as well and that can be catastrophic for people that are living in low lying vulnerable areas."
"Since this morning, I've gotten reports from the boat company, San Pedro Belize Express, that we have close to 600 plus people evacuating and that's up to 10:00 this morning."
Gualberto "Wally" Nunez, Mayor, San Pedro Town
"At the moment, the San Pedro Town Council is out with the different departments looking at for example we have sanitation department and the crew that is out there picking up different types of garbage like debris and stuff that might become some type of flying missiles during a storm and they're out there cleaning. We also have the building unit, our building unit is also checking the different construction sites to make sure that anything that can be a flying object as well that is actually taken down or secured, they have scaffolding and different types of materials that can become dangerous during a storm so they have been securing all of that. Also there is our evaluation department who is also out there checking and making sure that the different businesses are not increasing their prices especially right now in this time of need."
But withstanding a hurricane on an island in the middle of the sea is a lot different than on the mainland:
Gualberto "Wally" Nunez, Mayor, San Pedro Town
"Here in San Pedro as an island, it is quite a task, I mean it is very difficult because you know that most of these areas are prone to flooding, the island itself actually becomes underwater if you look at it at a different perspective but it doesn't become very dangerous so we have to take all precautions and take advantage of the time that we have right now because sometimes we have some weather that develops quickly in front of us, we don't have as much time as right now so we're taking advantage of that at the moment that we can plan."
Vanessa Parham, District Emergency Coordinator, BRS
"One of our biggest disadvantage at these islands is that we do not have enough hurricane shelters and so if they know that they are going to be safe inland then let them take advantage of that and go on their own and voluntary evacuate."
And up until 10 this morning, 600 residents had already evacuated via water taxi, and the crowds of people outside the terminal proved it.
One woman explained that she fears for what may become of her property.
Courtney Menzies:
"Why did you decide to leave the island?"
San Pedro Resident
"Because we are in the middle of the water."
Courtney Menzies:
"Where exactly do you live?"
San Pedro Resident
"San Ignacio."
Courtney Menzies:
"Here in San Pedro."
San Pedro Resident
"Marina Drive."
Courtney Menzies:
"And there gets flooded a lot?"
San Pedro Resident
"Yes because I am close to the lagoon."
Courtney Menzies:
"So you're going to san Ignacio now?"
San Pedro Resident
"Yes."
Courtney Menzies:
"And you see a lot of people leaving as well?"
San Pedro Resident
"Just right now I see that the people are there."
Courtney Menzies:
"Are you scared of what will happen to your house?"
San Pedro Resident
"Yes because it's wood."
Courtney Menzies:
"But it withstood the other hurricanes before?"
San Pedro Resident
"No."
Courtney Menzies:
"So you just fixed your house after the last hurricane?"
San Pedro Resident
"Yes."
But while there were hundreds evacuating, some residents explained that they will ride out the rains. Around town, few windows had been boarded up. But there are also some who don't really see the hurricane as a major threat:
Ruben Olivarez, San Pedro Resident
"Basically it's just like another storm. It's not like we haven't gone through this before and for me i feel like this thing won't even hit us like that so all I do is kick back in my spot and chill, when the time comes, it comes and we'll see what happens."
Courtney Menzies:
"And you live in this area?"
Ruben Olivarez, San Pedro Resident
"Yes, right back here in San Mateo. We've been back here 15 years already."
Courtney Menzies:
"And you see this area floods a lot?"
Ruben Olivarez, San Pedro Resident
"Sometimes but it's not anything that we're not used to. We used to have London Bridges back in the day. We have road right now, trust me we could do better with this road right now, we don't have to move."
Courtney Menzies:
"Your house had withstood every hurricane so far?"
Ruben Olivarez, San Pedro Resident
"Yes so far all of them came, gone, we're still here, nothing has fallen."
Courtney Menzies:
"But you reinforce it in any way?"
Ruben Olivarez, San Pedro Resident
"Yeah we always put board up the windows and thing, basically what everyone does, but I don't feel like anything will happen. We good."
Courtney Menzies:
"So what do you think when you see all the people who are evacuating right now?"
Ruben Olivarez, San Pedro Resident
"All of them are obscenity crazy. My bad for the obscene language. All of them are crazy."
Steve "Scuba Steve" Bowen, San Pedro Resident
"Let's put it this way. We are not like the mainland. You see the reef right there? That slows down a lot of waves. The impact that comes most of the time is from the beachfront to the front or to the back and we don't get that water flooding like what people are running directly into. Once the storm passes, water recedes, goes down, we never get it where it floods like what people are thinking in their minds."
"Because we have a young child we might get a room just to stay on standby with my wife and my daughter but me and my son will tough it out, we will put up the boats later on today or tomorrow, the other boats. We have trips going out right now."
But for those unsure of what to do, both water taxis and flights out of San Pedro will be suspended after tomorrow, so time is of the essence.
