Corozal Spared from Impact of Beryl

This morning, the National Emergency Management Organization declared an all-clear for areas in the country that were under a tropical storm watch. Hurricane Beryl made landfall early Friday morning north of Tulum, along the Yucatan Peninsula. A tropical storm watch was still in effect for Belize City all the way up to the Belize-Mexico border with the expectation that northern Belize would experience incessant rainfall and tropical storm force winds. But Hurricane Beryl shifted its course further north throughout the night. Except for two shorts periods of rain on Thursday night, the northernmost town in the country remained dry and free from tropical storm force winds. There was a bit of panic among residents of Corozal leading up to Thursday night. But this morning, worry turned to a collective sigh of relief, as residents in northern Belize went about their daily routine. News Five’s Paul Lopez spent the night in Corozal Town. He filed the following report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting
It is approximately seven a.m. in Corozal and it appears as if the town has been spared any sort of excessive rain throughout the course of the night or tropical storm force winds. If you look behind me the sea is calm. There is some overcast right now and a bit of drizzling. But everyone seems to be going about their morning routine seemingly without any fear, concern or worry. On Thursday morning, Hurricane Beryl was forecasted to make landfall along the Yucatan Peninsula. It was projected to bring rains and tropical storm force winds to northern Belize. As a result, most businesses in Corozal Town closed at midday, except for a handful of grocery stores that remained open to accommodate last-minute shoppers.

 

 

Jose Zetina, Resident, Corozal Town
“We just get a little heavy rain right now, a heavy rain shower but according to what I know the hurricane is moving a little upward so we have been receiving some rain and I don’t know if in the night, but that is as far as I know.”

 

 

 

 

By late Thursday afternoon, Hurricane Beryl began to move further north of Belize. Yet and still, residents took no chances and secured their homes. In Calcutta Village, hours before the tropical system was projected to make landfall, one family sat around a table in front of a fast-food restaurant enjoying a meal with little to no concern.

 

 

 

Adrian Tun, Resident, Calcutta Village
“We just experienced like two episodes of rain. That is everything. The palm tree not even the move and it has a wasp nest on it. So nothing the go on. I think that thank God because we always have to give God thanks because nothing the go on and we hope to keep it that way. We hope the weather doesn’t deteriorate or anything like that. But at this moment in Corozal everything all right. I am glad that everybody do the necessary hunker down. I see they have plywood on their windows, and we have to heed the warnings but thank God everything is alright.”

 

 

Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist, NMS

“Hurricane Beryl made landfall this morning, just after four a.m. as a category two hurricane about five miles northeast of Tulum Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula.

 

 

 

 

Fortunately for us here in Belize we had minimal impacts from the hurricane. The last time I looked the highest wind gust was thirty-four miles per hour recorded up in the north at Ranchito in the Corozal District. We were spared the strong winds from this system. In terms of rainfall, we are very grateful that God has blessed once again. We had about one to two inches but that was not in the north. The north got about half an inch or rainfall.”

 

 

 

At seventy-thirty a.m., Daniel Mendez, the National Emergency Coordinator, declared an all-clear for the areas that were under a tropical storm watch.

 

Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO

“I want to reinforce the message that Belize is under a state of all clear. We believe there is no longer a threat president from Hurricane Beryl. Based on the advice from the N.M.S. we advised the prime minister that businesses should reopen today.”

 

In Ranchito Village where the National Meteorological Service of Belize recorded slight tropical storm force winds, we spoke to one resident who told us that he may have slept through those winds.

 

 

Marvin Rancharan, Resident, Ranchito Village

“We feel good because everything gone through good and no disaster, everybody wake up feeling good, village clear. We had a little rain like around seven the showers dropped and we didn’t hear anything else after that. We were prepared, we bought enough groceries, water, food, light, we were prepared for the weather.”

 

 

 

In Corozal Town, Eric Donn was up early and off to work.

 

Eric Donn, Resident, Corozal Town

“The way I feel, I feel glad because we serve a big God and only God could move that storm. So, that is just to show the nation that we serve a big God. So, whether we believe or not, we can do better, but only he could move that storm, no man could move that storm. We just board up the house, get some rations and the normal way you suppose to be prepared, try to be safe as much.”

 

 

Paul Lopez

“How concerned were you?”

 

Eric Donn

“We had to be concerned, because this weather is nothing to play with. Anything could happen in a storm, so we have to be concerned. But we never get no rain or anything so we have to thankful to God bout it.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.