Tropical Wave Causes Flooding in Belize City

Belize City was under water for the most part of the morning. After a heavy, early morning downpour brought on by a tropical wave, numerous streets were inundated by floodwaters. Classes had not been called off, and so students made their way to school. That is until institutions across the country began sending kids home due to the weather. Floodwater was a major inconvenience to pedestrians and low vehicles alike, but most people pressed on. The Belize City Pumping Station was activated and according to the experts, it helped to decrease floodwaters along key streets in downtown Belize City. News Five’s Paul Lopez went out early this morning. Here is what he found.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

A few hours of downpour on Friday morning led to flooding across Belize City. Vehicles and pedestrians alike had to traverse through several inches of water along main thoroughfares. One woman was seen cautiously stepping off the sidewalk and unto the street with water above her ankles on Mahogany Street. The downpour and flood led many schools to call off classes for the day and send students home.

 

Darwin Retreage, Belize City Resident 

“You guh round and tek a circle around there, you will see a lot of people downstairs, a lot of people yard flood out. We yard flood out, it flood.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What you think happens if the rain continues like this?”

 

Darwin Retreage

“Well if it continues people downstairs house flood out. Deh wah have to deal with people appliance and carpet and so.”

 

Kerry Sandoval, Belize City Resident

“Cho everywhere flood boss, everywhere. Watch how high the water, right now my yard flood. You cant even walk. Flooded bad, watch yah when I walk this morning I the look to slip down because the yard flood.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What you think will happen if it continues?”

 

Kerry Sandoval

“Cho, everywhere wah flood tonight boss, everywhere.”

 

In response to the floods, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner left his office and hit the streets to assess the situation firsthand. We met him at the Yabra Pumping Station. The station came on line in October 2023 to mitigate flooding in the Old Capital.

 

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“Obviously as you can see here, the four screws are working efficiently. Really putting out like one cubic meter per screw. So, we are looking at four cubic meter per second of water being pulled. As we sit, based on the engineers, this is just taking off the top of the water currently. We have not locked off the gates as yet, because water is being pushed out in its natural form in different areas of the city.”

 

Ramon Menjivar, the Assistant City Engineer, further explained that the pumping station should reduce the floodwater’s runoff time by fifty percent.

 

Ramon Menjivar, Assistant City Engineer, Belize City Council

“The system allows us to activate the pumps and get the water much faster, not necessarily much faster than what is dropping, because you have to compare the rainfall dropping on a land mass, as compared to the facility of the pumping action.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What should be people’s expectations in terms of how fast the water should run off, compared to not having the turbines in place?”

 

Ramon Menjivar

“I would say about fifty percent right now, so if we expect the water to run off in six hours, we could have the water with the pumps activated, two to three hours.”

 

In the immediate area of the pumping station, residents were complaining that floodwater inundated their properties like never before. They questioned the effectiveness of the pumping station, while pointing out an accumulation of garbage in the canal.

 

Darwin Retreage

“We never does have this problem from when this mih build. Before this build water does run off quick. Less than half an hour. Since this build, this dah wah problem for this community around here. You go around and take a circle; you see a lot of flood people the flood out. You take a picture over there you will see how the garbage pile up, when this the stir up people the tek lick with the mud scent.”

Bernard Wagner

“Flooding is everywhere globally. If you look at Miami, our people need to appreciate that climate change is here and they have to play their role in keeping their yards clean of shrubs, ensuring the drain in front of their yards are clean. It is not just a city council task to take on drainage in front of residents. You should have that civic pride to take pride in your property to ensure that you aid in alleviating flooding in your neck of the woods. We will do our best, but you always require participation by the residents. This is not a one person activity. It requires participation, collaboration, everyone on board. It is not only Belize City, flooding occurs globally, all across the world.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.