The Macal River Floods Market, Bullet Tree Bridge Remains Closed

In San Ignacio, the Macal River surged above the town’s market for the first time in nearly five years. Today, it started to recede, albeit slowly. By the afternoon, market vendors were busy cleaning up. However, just outside San Ignacio in Bullet Tree, the situation looks grim. The bridge has been closed for several days, and residents beyond the Bullet Tree Bridge are either in shelters or bracing for the worst. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Crossing a flooded bridge is no small feat, which is why the Bullet Tree Bridge has been closed to vehicles. However, for some residents living beyond the bridge, crossing on foot is a necessity. They’re either braving the risks to get basic supplies or, like these two gentlemen, to get to work. We spoke with one Bullet Tree resident who was watching the scene unfold.

 

Alfonso Tesecum, Bullett Tree Resident

“Right now it is not so bad right now. But the last time we did not see the river running so fast. But, right now the river is getting higher. This morning when I pass here, this road, the bridge was getting up, but suddenly it start to come again more higher. I see some people try to walk across it but it is dangerous right now. No vehicle could pass it because it almost reach by the police station and that will be dangerous.”

 

We then made our way across the pedestrian path on the bridge to hear from the residents on the other side. A large portion of the bridge was underwater, but the pedestrian path was still above water. Once we crossed the bridge, we found ourselves wading through over two feet of rushing water. On the other side we spoke with Robert Perez, a resident of the area.

 

Robert Perez, Resident, Camalote

“Last night it went down almost at the entrance of the bridge. But by this morning  around seven o’clock it already by that sign that says road closed. But by this afternoon we see it is where it is, an it is rising even more higher. It is affecting me big time because we are tacos vendors. We are across the bridge and not able to do our sales as normal. Then also I have my child that I haven’t returned home, because I cant cross the bridge. It is affecting me and as you can see here a lot of houses are already under water. Well at least one foot underwater.”

 

We also met a resident who, along with her family, has taken refuge in a church. She shared that her home is now submerged, and the rising river is threatening their temporary shelter, which they’ve been in since the early hours of Saturday morning. They went without potable water all weekend, but thankfully, it was restored this morning.

 

Voice of: Raquel Lobos, Flood Victim

“My uncle is back there with my aunt, because my aunt is taking care of a little old lady. They cant come out, but the river is rising and surely it will enter our house.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What will they do?”

 

Voice of Raquel Lobos

“They are on that side, seeing what it can do, but we did not expect this. We thought it was going down. But, I don’t know. It is just rising up. It is coming up and it is tough. I am in a worries right now.”

 

Downtown San Ignacio saw the Macal River reach Hurricane Mitch levels. Some residents saw the flood waters as an opportunity to drive their jet skis through the town. By this morning, it began to recede, and market vendors who enacted their evacuation plans on Saturday were back today to assess the damage.

Aoifa Wade, Entrepreneur

“The water reached all the way here and you could tell all the floor is muddy and the walls they to power wash everything because the walls kept draining down. And it was not like as bad as 2020 because 2020 reached all the way to the top, but it was pretty bad.  For us the wakeup sign is when it reaches the stairs behind the San Ignacio sign. It actually reached behind the bathroom area so we were like this is going to get really bad. The water just started to raise pretty quickly and we were in shock and it stayed like that for two days.”

  

Paul Lopez

“Have you all ever considered moving from here or why stay here?”

 

Aoifa Wade

“We have, because not only the weather. It is a danger to us as well, because the furniture can fall. We can get hurt. I mean, someone asked the mayor today why not move the market from the riverside. As vendors, we can’t do anything about it. We can just stay here and hope for the best.”

 

And so today we asked the mayor for his thoughts on relocating the market to higher ground.

 

Earl Trapp, Mayor, SE/SI

“It makes a lot of sense. The only good thing with being here we have the nice Macal view, but in terms of keeping the market open and service already available, I think it is a good idea to be looking at an area we can get relocate in the near future. With global warming and climate change, I don’t see it getting any better. So, you are right, we can have a lot of freak storm and river rising. I think it is an excellent idea and it is something that I will take up as a local leader and put it in consultation with the general public.”

 

In the meantime, as of midday, the Macal River was just below the roofs of the wooden structures on the newly built boardwalk.

 

Earl Trapp

“With the pressure that is coming from the Mopan River and that river is still rising. It mean that this river will take a lot longer before it recedes and before this low lying bridge becomes readily available for the people.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.