Corozal Puts Plans in Place Ahead of Hurricane Beryl Landfall

Preparations are underway in several parts of the country, but the Corozal District stands to be the most impacted in Belize. NEMO’s Corozal District Office was activated on Tuesday morning. More than a dozen shelters have also been identified. Over at the Corozal Town Council, Mayor Rigoberto Vellos and his team are getting drains cleaned and debris removed. But how seriously are Corozal residents taking this storm? News Five’s Paul Lopez travelled north today. He filed the following report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

According to the latest update from the National Meteorological Service of Belize, the northernmost parts of the country remain in Hurricane Beryl’s projected path.

 

Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist, NMS

“In terms of the projected path not much has changed since we last updated you. It is still forecasted to move generally west north westward for the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours and impact the island of Jamaica on Wednesday. Thereafter the system will further weaken due to vertical windshear as it enters the northwestern Caribbean sea through Thursday and move west to northwest towards the Yucatan Peninsula with a likely landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula late Thursday night into Friday morning. The probability cone is still relatively wide up until landfall. It extends from the extreme northern parts of Belize all the way to the northern tip of Yucatan indicating a high level of uncertainty to that point.”

 

Giovanni Trimerous, Corozal Town Resident

“Right now I am working at the casino. I don’t really have a plan because they haven’t told me yet if they will close the casino or not. I am waiting for my pay to so that I can buy my stuff and things like that.”

 

 

 

 

 

Today in Corozal Town was just another ordinary day. Businesses were open and residents walked the streets apparently carefree. As Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon indicated earlier, the extreme northern part of Belize remains in the cone of probability.

 

Giovanni Trimerous

“It is really a strong hurricane and I think it could cause so much damage here in the north, because it is coming for the north so.”

 

Mayor Rigoberto Vellos says residents were out in numbers on Monday night panic buying. Several hardware stores have reported being out of plywood already.

 

 

Rigoberto Vellos, Mayor, Corozal Town

“From yesterday, there were a lot of people who went into panic mode. I know they rushed the grocery stores, I know I think up to yesterday there were no plywood at the hardware store and so people are taking this serious which is a good sign. It is best we take it seriously than not to take it seriously and regret it afterwards.”

 

 

 

 

The National Emergency Management Organization’s District Office in Corozal was activated as of nine a.m. today. NEMO District Coordinator Ronnie Hernandez is urging residents in the town and surrounding villages to remain calm, but vigilant.

 

Ronnie Hernandez, District Coordinator, NEMO

“If we are prepared, which we are doing. We have had so much days to do so, people will know that you need to go to a shelter in order to save your life first. You will not be there to save your property and lose your life. We can get back we can build back better, but our lives come first.”

 

Fifteen hurricane shelters have been identified by the NEMO Corozal District Team.

 

 

Ronnie Hernandez

“If we activate these shelters, meaning we declare these shelters open through NEMO headquarters we have Our Lady of Guadelupe, Cristo Rey, Corozal Community College, Concepion, Caledonia, Buena Vista, Mary Hill, Louisiana Ville, Pachakan, Copper. Bank, Progresso and Escuela Secondaria Technica Mexico.”

 

 

 

Those shelters remained closed when we spoke with Hernandez around midday, in the absence of a declared watch or warning. But, later in the afternoon, Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon informed reporters that he has advised NEMO to declare a tropical storm watch.

 

Ronald Gordon

“Given the fact that we will likely experience tropical storm force winds and there is a possibility of tropical storm force winds for the northern part of the country, we have been communicating with the National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida and I have been advised NEMO Coordinator who have liaised with the prime minister and we will be declaring a tropical storm watch at the six p.m. advisory at six p.m. this evening. that will extend from Belize City, moving northward to the border, including the islands of San Pedro and Caye Caulker.”

 

A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area during the next forty-eight to seventy-six hours.  In Corozal, the town council is working to clear the drainage systems in flood prone areas. Mayor Vellos has a live hurricane tracker projected to the wall inside the town hall’s conference room.

 

 

 

 

Rigoberto Vellos

“We are taking this very serious and that is the message I want to leave to my Corozalenos and all Belizeans, not to take this for granted, regardless if it is just the tail we need to be prepared. This is our command center, we also have a committee, the town council disaster committee, that will bunk out here if anything. We want to ensure that we are responsible enough as a town council and we deal with our residents with love.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.