We now turn to Chief Met Officer Ronald Gordon for the latest update on the movement of Hurricane Beryl, as it makes its way toward southeast Mexico.
Day: July 4, 2024
Corozal Town Prepares for Deteriorating Weather Conditions
Tonight, we have a news team in Corozal Town. They will be overnight in that municipality to capture the extent of the winds and rains that residents will likely face when Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula. Landfall is expected just after midnight. What News Five’s Paul Lopez found on the ground this evening is residents scrambling to get in some last-minute shopping at the handful of grocery stores that remain open. Most businesses have been shuttered and many of the main streets in the town have limited to no traffic. The central park is unusually empty for a Thursday evening, while several residents are undergoing last-minute work to secure their homes. Clearly, there is a heightened sense of alertness in this part of the country. News Five’s Paul Lopez tells us more.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
As the sun begins to set on Corozal Town, the most northern town in Belize, seas behind me remains calm. Resident are expecting the weather to rapidly deteriorate over the course of tonight. When you look at the main streets, traffic seems to be limited. There is practically no one inside the park and businesses have been shuttered, closed, since midday. Several grocery stores remain open for residents to do their last minute shopping. Interestingly, we met two brothers from San Jose who missed or forgot the bus schedule and as a result missed their bus out of town. Here is what they told us.
Samuel Novelo, San Jose Resident
“My name is Samuel Novelo. We are headed to San Jose.”
Paul Lopez
“Why are you guys standing out here right now and you seem to have a bit of cluelessness in your eyes?”
Samuel Novelo
“We the try get a ride because the bus left us. So, the bus was suppose to head to Belize from four oclock but it didn’t leave from here. It went, so we are trying to catch a ride to go to village. Me and my brother.”
Paul Lopez
“Were you here on time for the bus?”
Samuel Novelo
“Yes, four o’clock, cause that is the time they gave us. The bus came but it didn’t go to the terminal. It went straight to Belize because he didn’t see any customers there.”
Paul Lopez
“How high is your chances of catching a ride right now?”
Samuel Novelo
“We the try hustle a ride at least dah Santa Clara and then we will try to catch a ride to village.”
Paul Lopez
“Is it urgent to get out of Corozal tonight?”
Samuel Novelo
“As soon as possible. I need to reach home. I have a lot of things to do home, put some nails in the windows and a lot of thigns like that. We were at work waiting for the lady, the boss and she reach late. Now I have to hitch hike and reach.”
NEMO Prepared to Provide 24/7 Assistance During Storm
In just a few hours, Hurricane Beryl is anticipated to make landfall on Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. As mentioned earlier by Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon, the storm is being closely monitored as it nears the region and evaluated for potential risk. Since Belize is expected to receive heavy rainfall and flooding, the National Emergency Management Organization is fully equipped and prepared to face these weather conditions with twenty-four-seven assistance. National Emergency Coordinator Daniel Mendez, further explains NEMO’s operation plans.
Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO
“Our coordinators across the country and in particular in the northern districts and in the Caye Caulker area and San Pedro area remain in close communication with community leaders. Particularly in this the Corozal and Orange Walk District, we remain in close communication with our river monitors, with all the village and town and city leaders to closely monitor these water levels and to update these as necessary. All our E.O.C.s are activated. They continue to prepare for hurricane Beryl if necessary. Is particularly those areas in the north are on heightened alert for tonight. We remain we have done our restocking, and our warehouses are prepared. Again, like I said, as I reported shelters will be opened in some parts of the country, particularly in the north in preparation for the effects of Beryl. These will be available to people who may need this service in the next few next few hours. Again, the National Emergency Operations Center. Will be in full operation tonight. We will be on twenty-four seven watch for the next few hours and as long as necessary, and we will continue to monitor the passage of Hurricane Barrett as it makes landfall later tonight. And we will be providing any updates as necessary as soon as these, this information comes in from the affected districts.”
NEMO says Don’t Panic
As previously explained by Daniel Mendez, the National Emergency Management Organization and its partners are taking precautions and preparing to offer aid to Belizeans who may be at risk as Hurricane Beryl approaches the Yucatan Peninsula. However, on Wednesday, Prime Minister John Briceño advised the public not to enter a state of panic, but rather to proceed with caution. The National Emergency Coordinator elaborated on finding a balance between being prepared and keeping the country in operation.
Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO
“So it’s not panic. It’s it is finding that balance between safety and keeping the country open we, we take all of the information that we have been receiving from the med service to make that best judgment. And so it’s really finding that right balance. So we’re not in panic mode. We are really trying to see how we can ensure that things continue as normal while at the same time remaining prepared for the effect the possible effects of the storm on. So we constantly do our risk assessments. We take in new information. We’re looking at how we can ensure that the exposure of the people’s exposure is minimized. But at the same time keeping things going. So it’s just like with the med service. It’s not an exact science we cannot say it The entire country will be affected, but we have to go on a case by case basis, hour by hour basis, and really looking at that, using that information for us to be able to update our risk assessments and to advise the government accordingly on what needs to be done.”
More Flood Warnings Issued Throughout Belize
This afternoon, Hurricane Beryl weakened from a category three to a category two storm; however, as Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon explained earlier in our newscast, the National Met Service is keeping an eye on the storm’s movements as it shows signs of strengthening. Flood warnings have been issued for areas under storm watch, as urban and flash flooding is expected in various parts of the country. Principal Hydrologist Tenielle Hendy explains.
Tenielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist, NHS
“We have a flash flood warning for the coastal road and for it to be a little bit more specific we’re speaking in the areas of the Sibun Bridge located in La Democracia Village up until the Gales Point cut off. So we’re advising residents and motorists who are in this area to exercise extreme caution. When they’re using this coastal highway. We also have a flood alert, which means that flooding is possible and you need to be prepared. And Sibun River at Freetown Sibun. Of course, the Sibun River runs through from the west all the way down to just south of Belize City in the Deepwater Port area. So we’re asking for communities in these areas just to remain alert and to stay tuned to our advisories so that we can make the best decisions when determining our traveling arrangements. We also have a flood warning in effect for the Belize and Corozal districts, and we’re not only speaking about the major river systems that are in these districts, but we’re also speaking about tributaries, meaning rivers, creeks, and streams that are associated with those larger river systems. We expect urban flooding to occur on those systems. The rainfall that has been occurring in late June in Mexico, we’re now seeing those rivers coming into the country via the trans boundary influence, and we expect this to continue occurring until they’ve basically exited their countries coming into us, we’re at the, as a downstream country. With the passage of Beryl in that same area again, we can expect this to continue happening or occurring for the upcoming days ahead. In central coastal Belize district, the coastal road, as I mentioned before, we’re seeing very saturated Soil levels and this is a contributing factor for flash flooding as well as the rainfall volumes. We will keep monitoring these different conditions and we will update and advise accordingly via our daily flood forecast.”
Cabinet Briefing on Hurricane Beryl
This morning in Belize City, cabinet also met with Chief Met Officer Ronald Gordon and National Emergency Coordinator Daniel Mendez for a full briefing on Hurricane Beryl. P.M. Briceño has declared a Tropical Storm Watch from Belize City to Corozal, including Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, which will remain in effect until further notice. Hurricane Beryl is expected to hit the Yucatan Peninsula late tonight through early Friday morning. Nonetheless, northern Belize is expected to experience moderate to heavy rainfall, potentially leading to localized flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas. In light of this development, Cabinet advises all Belizeans to remain vigilant and heed advisories issued by NEMO and the National Meteorological Service.
NEMO Corozal Remains Activated Overnight
NEMO’s Corozal District Office Coordinator Ronnie Hernandez says the District Emergency Operation Center will remain activated throughout the course of the night. Hernandez tells News Five that residents in Corozal Town should remain vigilant and only listen to information from credible sources. He urges them not to panic.
Ronnie Hernandez, NEMO District Coordinator, Corozal
“So far we have been continuing our preparations when it comes to the E.O.C. being fully activated. We have mainly eighteen different shelters readily available. We have the forms ready with the persons from the village emergency committee also municipal. I would say that the town council has put their works on the ground. So far we are just vigilant at the moment watching the system and the projections of where it is going to. No need to be alarmed, no need to panic. It is to stay in tuned with the relevant information. The E.O.C. is fully activated. We have our plans on the table. We have had the different keys being distributed to the closer in the event we need to open shelters.”
Shelters in Corozal Remain Closed Until Need Arises
Following NEMO’s latest press conference and the Chief Meteorologist’s most recent update, Hernandez is of the view that Corozal District is in a much better position tonight. He says that based on the assessments conducted on the shelters, residents should be adequately prepared to face the weather ahead. Shelters will remain closed until the need arises.
Ronnie Hernandez, NEMO District Coordinator, Corozal
“Remains the same and a bit better position, reason why because we listen to NEMO, they are the most reliable source alongside the met service. We have received advisory number five, advisory number six and based on the advisories I think people are prepared to receive this small impact we may be having as you can see we will be expecting feeder band with winds nothing major. Rains we cannot escape from we will be having, we cannot escape that. But like I said we are vigilant. We are here at the E.O.C. The public service, we have the mayor himself all the town council members are here giving their shift hours to the E.O.C. We are working in conjunction. We have honorable Florencia Marin having full contact with us also. So I think we are ready available for the public.”
San Pedro and Caulker Residents Prepare for Beryl
San Pedranos and Caye Caulker residents have a good sense of when to evacuate, and even though Beryl’s course shifted northwards away from Belize, over four thousand residents of both islands still took no chance and sought shelter on the mainland. However, many remain in San Pedro and sought to batten down. In NEMO’s three o’clock media update today, we discovered that despite the caution issued, some merchants on that island are still looking to hike up the cost of goods, including plywood and sliced bread. Belize Rural South Area Representative Andre Perez and San Pedro Mayor Wally Nunez, who took part in the briefing, spoke on these issues.
Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South
“That was a big issue, not only with the price of bread that was being sold at $5 and it was a regular size 16-ounce loaf, and the receipt shows that it is $5. I don’t want to aim or isolate that specific business location, but we have been aware of this specific location actually, having high prices with ease. So certainly we’re looking at it. Not only with food prices, but also the issue of certainly a couple of businesspeople and hardware stores selling the plywood. I think they the half inch sizes which was going for $110 – ridiculous prices – what we’re seeing and we are meeting and saying that we do not have any space for this type of business. I think these are unscrupulous businesses that take advantage of our community when, in fact, it is our community that gives them the opportunity to do business in San Pedro and by extension, in Caye Caulker as well. And that’s uncomfortable. It’s illegal as well, of course, to do that. But also, it’s an ethical man. You don’t do that to a community that is needed at the same time. So we know who they are. Mayor and I were very much discussing that we are going to be visiting these people and also to further mention that the bureau standards and we’re actively engaged with them and they are going to actually, to avoid this. It happens all the time. This is not the only time we’re seeing this, but especially in this extraordinary time where the storms is – we are under threat. No, but the point is we are looking at getting eight people trained. We have gotten the advice already from the Bureau of Standards. We’re going to get eight people and two for Caye Caulker to go through that training. So we have them permanently staffed here in San Pedro and Caye Caulker because it’s too much. We got to put a stop to it. And the evidence on that one was clear. Five dollars for a local bread, unacceptable.”
Wally Nunez, Mayor, San Pedro
“You can clearly see that there’s not that much people on the street because there’s a lot of people out there who left the island. So if we can put a word to it, it looks like a ghost town out there. We don’t have much people going around earlier today. We had some people that were doing their last-minute shopping, but after everything closed down at 12 o’clock, everybody went back home. Right now I am heading to another meeting and I will be out. And I will be checking out how it looks out there.”
Hurricane Beryl Aftermath in Jamaica
On Wednesday, we spoke with a Belizean student in Jamaica just before Hurricane Beryl impacted the island with category four strength winds. We heard from Brianney Smith earlier today, following the passage of the storm. She is doing well but says that many of the main roads in Jamaica are impassable, while several homes have been destroyed. She told us about the unpleasant experience she had weathering a category four hurricane.
Brianney Smith, Belizean Student
“The experience was kind of scary. My shutters were not able to fully close so for me that was kind of frightening. Luckily I have my dad at home and I gave him a call. He helped me to figure out a way to get it shut. I was able to manage that. I would the say the wind and the rain rattling all of the shutters and you can hear, you cant really see outside because the rain and breeze and all kind of things were flooding the window. So, it was a scary experience and it was for hours on end. So just when you think it was slowing down a little bit the wind and the rain and everything just picked up back. The scariest part for me was when it hit nighttime and you cannot see anything outside and you hope that what is happening isn’t too devastating. It transitioned from just wind and rain to thunder and lighting and wind and rain, and it is the kind of thunder that rattles everything inside. Thank God the worst of it is over and that the damage to campus was not that great. Based on what I heard and what I have seen and the images coming into me, I have some friends from Saint Elizabeth that have been really devastated, all of, it is a coastal community, all of their wooden houses, their taches. They has up some taches and everything complete destroyed. A lot of their fruit trees, all of their roofs have just been dismantled by the storm. So my thoughts and prayers goes out to everybody in Saint Elizabeth specifically and all the other communities that have been devastated by the storm.”