Unanticipated Flooding in Burrell Boom, Villagers Forced to Evacuate

Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Sara unleashed heavy downpours across the country, causing severe flooding in Northern and Western Belize. After two weeks, the floodwaters made their way down to Burrell Boom, rapidly inundating residential areas and roads. Today, News Five’s Britney Gordon caught up with some of the villagers who have been forced to leave their homes as the waters continue to rise.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Residents of Burrell Boom are evacuating as excessive flooding takes its toll. As of today, one of the three main entrances to the village is completely inaccessible, and water levels are steadily rising at the other two. Village Councilor Ellis Metzgen shared some insights on the ongoing relief efforts to help those affected.

 

Ellis Metzgen, Councilor, Burrell Boom

“The relief efforts began early Thursday morning when me and the rest of the council we decided to take a early look at all this water that we know was up west of the country in Cayo and has to come down this side. We started with some preliminary work by first off setting up that marker over that side to at least give us a rough idea of how quick the water is coming up. Apart from that, then we teamed up along with the Segura family to ensure that they started getting all their appliances and any stuff that could potentially be damaged from water up to higher grounds, and then started to prepare the initial hurricane shelter that we were utilizing, and then thereafter we moved them to a more comfortable place.”

 

Residents knew there was a risk of flooding, but they never expected this much water without any rainfall. The village council’s marker shows that nearly four feet of water has poured in since Thursday, and it’s still rising. Carolee Staine, who lives right across from the river, hasn’t seen the river water reach her property yet, but the pond water has already made its way into her home.

 

Carolee Staine, Resident, Burrel Boom

“Oh my goodness.  I’m not even sure I’m going to find the right words. It’s just so much water. I’m still here because honestly, we didn’t expect it to come this high. We were hopeful. I was hopeful up until this morning. I did evacuate some of my stuff yesterday and I said that I would put some on cement blocks. But apparently, that’s not going to work. I already have water about two inches of water inside my house. And so we have to move everything from inside.”

 

Staine explains that residents anticipate some flooding every year. However, she has never witnessed flooding of this intensity without rainfall.

 

Carolee Staine

“I keep asking my uncle, like, how is the water in Cayo? As that the water has to come down. And that’s what we’re always waiting on. But like you said, rain usually accompanies it. And without the rain, I guess that’s why everybody was saying it wouldn’t come this high. We don’t have anything to worry about.”

 

The water level is rising at an alarming rate as it flows into the Belize River and a nearby pond. Resident Selvin Segura shared that at least three feet of water have already flooded his house, forcing his wife and children to evacuate. Meanwhile, he’s staying behind to help his neighbors with his boat.

 

Selvin Segura Sr., Resident, Burrell Boom

“Well, every day since the water come up. When the vehicle ney can’t get across the water on both ends. From this end and the roundabout on the other end, then we just take the dory. Today, one of my sons is going to take the other canoe today round at that other end over the side to traverse people.”

 

Helping his neighbors with his dory is something Segura does regularly whenever a storm hits. However, even he was caught off guard by the severity of this year’s flood.

 

Selvin Segura Sr

“Well the height, I never expect the height. We know wa big capacity of water coming down sake of the weather weh passed the other day but we don’t know what amount what capacity of water wa come up what volume of water will come up until it reach right.”

 

As the waters continue to rise, so do the concerns of residents over whether they will be able to enter and leave the village in the oncoming days.

 

Ellis Metzgen

“It’s not recommendable for any vehicles or anything to pass through here. Along the bypass, the water is also raising consistently I would assume by this evening or early tomorrow morning that area will as well become impassable for small cars and pickups. And then coming from the west side through Hattieville, the water is already across the road by the garbage dump and it’s rising a bit as well too. So we have to continue to monitor over that side as well.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.