Hurricanes Keith and Mitch Levels Flooding Recorded

So, what’s the flood forecast for the next few days? The National Hydrological Service is reporting Hurricane Keith-level flooding along the Mopan River and Hurricane Mitch-level flooding along the Rio Hondo River. Flood alerts have also been issued for river systems in southern Belize. Chief Hydrologist shared more.

 

Tennielle Hendy, Chief Hydrologist, NHS

“The areas of concern that are flooding at the moment. We have a flood alert, which means that flooding is possible. So, you should be prepared. It is for the watersheds off the eastern slopes of the Maya Mountains. I know you would say that sound like where is that. We are looking at all these rivers, south Stann Creek, north Stann Cree, Sittee River, Bladden, Swasey, Deep River, all these rivers coming off the eastern slopes of the Maya Mountains. We have a flood warning in effect for Rio Hondo, New River and the tributaries to Rio Hondo, the Boots River, Rio Bravo. In the central area in Belmopan we have for the Mopan, Macal and Belize River. To the bottom of the central we have for the Sibun River. The San Ignacio and Iguana Creek low lying bridges are still impassable and we have specifically for the Rio Hondo, severe flood warning. This is because we have been monitoring the levels at our station at Blue Creek. That has exceeded Hurricane Mitch levels. Those are mainly the area we are lucking at. More so the Mopan and the Rio Hondo, we need to be vigilant. You were asking about other rainfall activities. Recall before Nadine developed we were receiving some rainfall. It is in this same western central region that we were getting these rainfall volumes then came tropical storm Nadine and even that Nadine is no longer over us, it is in Guatemala and still raining, we are receiving the rainfall and runoff values through the riverine systems. That is the contributing factor as to why we are seeing levels approaching levels of these historical systems like Hurricane Keith for the Mopan and Rio Hondo for Hurricane Mitch.”