After observing the catastrophic damage Jamaica sustained from the impact of Hurricane Melissa last week, we all have to take pause and wonder, what would such a mighty and terrible storm have done to Belize? Since Hattie in 1961 - Belize has been spared the destructive wrath of a Cat 5.
But, we're in the hurricane belt - and something wicked this way will come soon enough.
So, when will another superstorm like Melissa appear? According to the Chief Met Officer, it's rare but does happen every few decades or so.
Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist
"We don't wish for it, but we certainly know that we are in the hurricane belt, so to speak. And there is always that possibility that we will get a category five one day. If you go into history, we have had strong hurricanes in the past. Go back into the history. And certainly we do know that at least, for a major hurricane, the return period is about, It's about every 20 to 30 years. So certainly, the last one that impacted us was hurricane Dean in 2007. Didn't make landfall directly in Belize, but certainly impacted the north."
"So if you look at that, we do know that, yes, we could get one any time and we should be prepared."
Melissa is tied for the third strongest hurricane on record ever in the Atlantic.
