I just thought I'd start this thread so that locals can share up to date news and so that those who have families and loved ones in San Pedro can get information.

Right now it is raining hard. The wind isn't too bad but the combination of high tide and wave action has already caused beach and dock damage.

Shelters are at the High School and the church on Sea Grape Drive. Channel 7 is carrying local news on TV. Channel 8 (San Pedro) is carrying national hurricane news.

The puppies and kittens at SAGA are safe.

That's the best update I can give you.

I'm worried about my little friend Alex Chavez down there. He's only 12 and lives in the Boca Del Rio area in San Pedro. If anyone knows him please let me know he is safe and how I can help him. We're all worried sick about everyone there! I was here for Katrina and I know what it's like.

I saw Alex earlier he is fine !

Thank God! I wish they had evacuated. Are they in a shelter that you know of? I tried to call him earlier but whoever answered didn't speak english.

Hi, I hope we get some new soon. I'd like to hear that people on Ambergris are safe. Then hear news of pets and buildings, vegetation and the reef. And how is the mainland? When was the last direct hurricane hit like this? Alice, UK

All still good on the South End. Lots of water and little wind as of yet. Electric and phones still on.

Thanks Kathy...the only news around was from hours ago...This is great news.

Does it look like you may have some flooding?

My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Do they have any idea exactly where Richard is to make landfall? How much flooding is expected?
What if anything can we do from USA Mainland to help?

I know lots of questions but all i can do at the moment...
I'm jsut waiting /counting until i can come back down.

We made some pictures around noon and put them on Facebook.
Here is a preview or click here for the Photo Album.



Jan van Noord
________________________
Portofino Restaurant & Beach Resort
North Ambergris Caye
New Website: www.portofino.bz

People have started to arrive at the High School for shelter, mainly from the San Mateo area. People are reminded that they must bring their own supplies to the shelter - food, water etc. It was requested that if people feel they will need shelter, to move now.

This was reported on Love FM.

Calm is important. This is not a major storm of the same category as mentioned. Take proper precautions and remember this is a 1 day weather event. The sun will be back tomorrow.

yep. good point. everyone is fine. we've handled much much worse.

So, who isn't calm? It is looking to me that everybody reporting so far is being very factual, but finding this very interesting. Having been in several hurricanes, weather like this is very powerful. As long as you know what to do and have safe shelter it is fascinating. I just hope every one has figured out the best way to stay safe. I pray that there aren't water craft out there.

My camera's are showing no rain and a little wind, they are 1/2 mile south of town. Just started to rain.

Nearly 2" of rain so far

The winds have picked up a little in the last hour but overall no tropical storm force winds on Ambergris Caye yet. It looks like the storm is going to make land fall just south of Belize city in the next 60 to 90 minutes. Caye Caulker has had much higher winds. We just reached low tide which has helped. It looks like the wind is still picking up and the Barometer is dropping. I have 1007.2 at this time. electricity, telephone and Internet are working and I suspect cable as well.

More updates to follow from 3.75 miles south of town.

wind and rain stopped. its VERY still....kinda creepy

You are right . Low Tide makes a big difference.

At Palmero Point 9 miles north we have had almost no rain just very big waves and are now getting some fairly strong wind.

It has just been announced on Channel 7 that the water will be switched off from 5pm - 8pm this evening.

About the tides
Don't be to complacent about this. I was in Isobel on the Chesapeake, which is a big body of water enclosed up each side. When the hurricane winds shifted to the south...which this one is supposed to...it blew the water up the bay.
We are bounded in the east the same way by the reef. The next two high tides are the issue, especially when the winds shift from the south. Please keep this in mind as, in my experience, it can produce an unexpected surge. Not just the next high tide, but possibly the one following.

Ooh. Worse news than I thought on the water. It's off til 8am.

Why are they swtching off water?

The high tide near noon tomorrow? No

noaa

Gosh, who does report the tides here...other than San Pedro Sun?

I shoulda guessed it....thanks Amanda...take care!

So, Amir...11:40 tomorrow, near noon...you are right; and again 11:57 tomorrow night. It might even be hinky later tonight between 10 and 12 depending on the wind direction!

tides are also reported on this website every day under todays belize weather....

this is handy:

http://www.tide-forecast.com/locations/BelizeCity-Belize/tides/latest

pretty calm here 5 1/2 miles north of town. gusty, waves sloshing, hardly any rain.

I was saying that 11:40 tide tomorrow does not pose a problem, given the speed of the Richard's westerly movement and the rapid decrease in wind speed near the island.

We'll see. It might depend on which way the wind is blowing. The worst surges I've seen have been after the storms are gone.

Be safe everyone!

Can't see anything now (dark outside) but the winds are howling.
I think we're all pretty safe -- photos in the AM.

CC wind gauge is clocking 50s

hi folks just inquiring about the wheather there my wifes folks are vactioning there and we lost contact with them at about 430 your time we are worried sick so thanks for the updates

All reports are everyone on island is safe !

I'd naively assumed the water pipes were underground.

I can't get in touch with my friend who lives in san pedro & i am very worried about her family. Kendra, Clayton & Ethan Sikes. My sister lives in Belize City & said they have notheard any info on what s going on in san perdo....would love to hear from someone on the island or anybody with news...thank you!

Israel Leal / AP
A man sets window protection shutters a few hours before the arrival of Hurricane Richard in Corozal, Belize, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010. ( AP Photo/Israel Leal)
By PATRICK E. JONES
The Associated Press
updated 1 minute ago 2010-10-25T01:38:16
Share Print Font: + - BELIZE CITY — Hurricane Richard slammed into Belize's Caribbean coast just south of its largest city late Sunday, as authorities evacuated tourists from outlying islands and an estimated 10,000 people took refuge at shelters in the tiny Central American nation.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Richard's top winds were 90 mph (150 kph) — making it a Category 1 hurricane — when it made landfall about 20 miles (35 kms) south-southwest of Belize City, whose neighborhoods are full of wooden, tin-roof homes that are very vulnerable to winds.

"The winds are very strong ... it's getting stronger," said Fanny Llanos, a clerk at the Lazy Iguana bed and Breakfast on Caye Caulker, a low-lying island known for its coral reefs and crystal-clear waters, located just offshore from Belize City.

Llanos said that palm trees were bending over in the wind and it had become very noisy.

"All the windows are boarded, and this is a strong house so we will be here," she said, "but we are still afraid."

Richard was moving west-northwest at about 10 mph (17 kph), and hurricane-force winds extended up to 15 miles (30 kms) from its center.

Belize City was devastated by Hurricane Hattie in 1961, prompting officials to move the capital inland to Belmopan. But Belize City is still the nation's largest population center, with about 100,000 inhabitants — a third of the country's population.

Official estimated that about 10,000 people had taken refuge at storm shelters in schools and churches located farther inland, including many in the capital, Belmopan.

Tourists had already been evacuated from Caye Caulker and nearby Ambergris Caye, but some local residents decided to ride out the storm.

Rafael Marin, the caretaker at the Anchorage Resort hotel, said strong gusts of wind were already hitting the island and its normally calm waters were being whipped into 3-foot (1-meter) waves lapping at the island's docks.

"We already boarded up everything, and we already got everything — office equipment and everything — stored in a safe place," Marin said. "We got all the tourists out, and get the whole place secured down."

But like Marin planned to ride out the storm in the three-story hotel. He said he expected only some beach erosion and minor damage to homes, noting the island has been hit by more powerful storms in the past.

"The local people are advised to evacuate on their own, voluntarily," Marin said. "It's not really major, like a Category 3" hurricane.

Officials warned people living in flimsy homes or low-lying areas to evacuate, and shelters at schools and other public buildings began filling up.

The National Emergency Management Organization also urged merchants not to raise prices for people who rushed to stores to stock up on basic necessities as the hurricane approached.

Earlier, Richard dumped heavy rains on Honduras' Caribbean coast and the Bay Islands, including Roatan, which is popular with tourists and divers.

Observers reported winds of up to 58 mph (93 kph) on Roatan, and more than 90 people took refuge in shelters in the Bay Islands, which lie between Honduras and Belize.

Lisandro Rosales, the head of Honduras' Permanent Emergency Commission, said no deaths or injuries had been reported in Honduras so far.

But Richard's heavy rains did cause a landslide that blocked a highway in northern Colon province, cutting off about 15,000 residents in 40 small towns. Crews were working to clear the road.

Mexico issued a hurricane watch for its southern Caribbean coast, and while Richard is expected to cross over the Yucatan peninsula and re-emerge in the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said it is likely to weaken and dissipate over Gulf waters.

Authorities said dangerous floods and mudslides were still possible in Honduras and declared states of maximum alert in four coastal provinces.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights

Kami, they are fine, Clayton & Kendra are asleep, and Ethan is watching the TV with my daughter Morgan.

Its a bit windy at the Yacht Club, but its fine.

PM me witha message & I will pass it on. I am at there place at the moment...

Anybody heard when they will turn the water back on?

Any moment-- it was to be on at 8AM

Are there power outages in San Pedro, or north or south of town at all?

Finally going to make it out to the AC on Tuesday, God willing.

Hope everyone fared well.

DC

Water is back on.
Btl.net email is out...since last night

Power seems fine in San Pedro. Enjoy your visit!

Can anyone tell me if Coastal Express is running on their regular schedule?

They started back with the 8:30 am run

Portofino Beach Resort is fine; we had minimal damage to the dock that has already been repaired. We are fixing the beach erosion and beachfront landscaping; most of it will be back to normal before this afternoon. Our beach tree has moved as you could see in the pictures on Facebook. My photo camera stopped working yesterday afternoon, but after a night of drying and charging it works again and this afternoon I will put photo update on our Facebook page.

Jan van Noord

*** UPDATE ***

We posted pictures of our beach today on this message board here and on facebook here.







Our maintenance guys are working very hard to get the beach back in shape, while our guests are relaxing in the pool, enjoying life in Paradise!
________________________
Portofino Restaurant & Beach Resort
North Ambergris Caye
New Website: www.portofino.bz

BTL email is out....no send or receive

The International Lions Club of San Pedro is collecting donations of clothing and canned foods for the mainland victims of Hurricane Richard. The SP Lion’s Den will be open this afternoon and all day tomorrow where donations can be dropped off.

For more information please contact President Melanie Paz at 620-1281.


http://sanpedrosun.blogspot.com/2010/10/sp-lions-club-collects-donations-for.html

San Pedro Community Relief Fund Established For Hurricane Richard Victims

http://sanpedrosun.blogspot.com/2010/10/san-pedro-community-relief-fund.html