Tropical Storm Matthew’s Impact on Belize
Tropical Storm Matthew weakened to a tropical depression on Saturday, September 25, as it brought heavy rain to Belize and Honduras. With the storm entering land on southern Belize with sustained winds measuring at 35mph and higher gusts, island residents did not expect much tropical storm conditions on Ambergris Caye.
On Saturday morning there were a few storm showers and high winds, but what was most impressive was the storms surge that created waves up to five feet high and double that outside the reef.
Some boat owners who did not move their vessels from the front part of the island were caught off guard by the high waves that threatened to damage their boats. There was a lot of beach erosion and damage to piers.
There were no damages to structures on land but low-lying neighborhoods like San Pedrito, Boca del Rio, San Mateo and immediately across the bridge leading northward were affected by high tide, making their passage in and out of their homes impassable. Three classrooms at the San Pedro High School were opened as shelters to accommodate individuals whose homes had been inundated.
“We got about nine inches over the entire event,” commented Dennis Gonguez Chief Meteorological Officer. “We got about nine inches down south in Punta Gorda Town, a bit over eight inches at Savannah Forest Station and about seven point nine inches in the Mountain Pine Ridge at Barton Creek; so most of the rainfall as expected was concentrated in the south.”
It has been remarkably active hurricane season with a 36-day period that saw the formation of ten named storms, six tropical storms, and five hurricanes--an entire hurricane season's worth of activity, compressed into just five weeks of the six-month season. This season is not done yet, as we still have three more weeks of peak hurricane season left to go, and the Western Caribbean has already generated another tropical storm Nicole moving its way through Florida.
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Ambergris Today
Last night we were counting our blessings after Matthew swooshed over Belize without causing any major damage, loss of property, or loss of life. Sadly, tonight in Southern Mexico, they cannot do the same. Hundreds are fared dead after mudslides caused by Tropical Depression's Matthew's rains.
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