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Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
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The British and American military are going to arrive in time to go do some great scuba diving and serious Rum drinking. R & R for those boys when they arrive.
San Pedro town on Ambergris Caye has partial electricity restored and partial telephone service. Long lines of 50 deep at BTL office for cellular contact.
Caye Caulker is going to be quite a bit longer, but maybe faster than anybody thinks. There are Canadian Electrician Linesmen teams in country, accustomed to setting up poles and rigging wires in emergency blizzard conditions in the Canadian Provinces of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Tough birds all of them. Hope they brought sunscreen! Those white folks going to be in trouble if they didn't. Average high summer temperature in Newfoundland in mid-summer is only 50 degrees farenheight. If it got that low in Belize, we would freeze to death. Hope they also brought bathing suits, the diving at the reef is fine, the water has settled already. FREE reef trips at Caye Caulker need to be organized for them. With such a massive input of trained specialist labor, carting off old Canadian Pine electric poles and sticking in new ones ( I presume BEL has an inventory of poles someplace) and rigging wires should take a week on Caye Caulker or quicker. How soon they will get to it though, I don't know. They are doing San Pedro first as electricity comes not from a local generator, but from an underwater submerged cable from the mainland. It's just the poles and wiring to be strung and done. By the weekend, the partial restoration will be fully done on San Pedro is my bet. BTL and telecommunications is another story. Lousy story to tell the truth!
Maybe when they have the post mortem on Hurricane preparedness and finding fault, they will find some hindsight quarterbacking criticisms of Government intervention and aid. But from my seat on the outside and running an Hurricane Emergency Network, the Government of Belize and yes let's say it. The PUP, has come through with flying colors! Far better than anything I could wish for. I'm probably one of their greatest critics, second to Peter Singfield. But by golly, this time around, I take my hat off to them. They have done it! This whole disaster relief thing is cresting and should be coasting along by the end of the weekend. By Monday, life will still be rough for many and particularly on Caye Caulker, but it will return to normal, or as normal as one can get in this situation.
The first 72 hours are critical in a disaster. I'm an old guy, been around a few wars, earthquakes and hurricanes. What is needed by relief agencies is rapid response teams into the effected areas. My own concern was rapid response of some sort from the GOB, the maximum that could be done.! It is the shell shocked nature of the victims. They tend to dither and go from one thing to another and have trouble prioritizing things, because they become overwhelmed. Give them 72 hours with on the spot outside intervention by relief teams and overwhelming government aid, the shock wears off and they start to pick up their lives and get organized. One can see this on Caye Caulker which is much more hurt than San Pedro in this way. Yeah! I was needling them during the hurricane about getting out to the islands fast. Urging them to use the BDF and all that. Making lists. Probably annoying the heck out of the Cabinet and NEMO. But by golly they did respond, they did prioritize and most of all they ACTED in a very prompt manner. The 72 hour critical period is passing, life of some sort of new normalcy is getting organized. Indeed, the British and the Americans are going to find 80 % of the disaster work already done. This time, they came too late. Belizeans did it for themselves and they did it well! In the International Arena we can step to the front as proud people. Not like those in Honduras or Turkey or some other place. You can get cold beer on San Pedro now, that says it all! Perhaps soon on Caye Caulker? The people on Caye Caulker really pulled together. I don't know where the shortage complaint came from in the report of some foreign resident fleeing from her collapsed house about starving, but restaurants on the Caye have been preparing and giving away free food. Many people have been giving well water and VAT rain water. The clinic and GOB and Village Council have a food ration distribution center working at the Community Center. Yup! It is going well, really well! A little ice cream and some cold beer, a few apple pies from the incoming rescue British and American forces would top it all off for everybody. from Ray Auxillou, Belize Development Trust
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Glad to hear of the good news and optimism!!! And your comments about the Canadians brought tears of laughter to my eyes. I have been there and worse! On the other hand--"Vancouverites don't die, they just rust away" :-)
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Anonymous
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Thank you! This is WONDERFUL news. Give everyone a big thumbs up and hugs and kisses to MY GUY, JIM CRAWFORD! Peace. June
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Anonymous
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bttt
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 76
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Very encouraging news! I'm thrilled and relieved to hear about it. And thank you to all who gave the extra effort to make the calls and prod Belizean agencies into action.
I applaud the Belizean government for kicking into high gear so quickly . . . but, being a USA citizen, I have to take a bit of exception to the negative comments about Americans arriving "too late".
Any nation anywhere in the world can count on the good ole USA to, not only show up, but to also be exceptionally generous with throngs of volunteers with expertise, truckloads of supplies and relief materials, and dumptrucks full of donations of essentials - money included.
Can anyone name a more internationally involved and helpful country in times of disaster than the USA? I think not! Please! Don't discourage our generosity and unending willingness to help by disparaging comments!
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Thank you Jacquesv...well said ! Peace. June
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 25
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Ahhhhhh yes, we Candians. I'm falling off my chair laughing. Western Canada is a little warmer but very wet. My sister is a pole climber for the phone company and I wish I could send her down. She's one tough little girl. Your words are so encouraging. What I would give to be at my home in San Pedro right now.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Dear Ray, I have truly enjoyed, appreciated and admired all of your reports over the past few days and have printed them out to read again later. You are so "politically uncorrect", I love it!!! Ahhh, the refreshing sound of wisdom and experience. Thank you for your devoted time to write your informative reports, with such heart and spirit. I reach across the internet to shake your hand!! It's been a priveledge to share your knowledge and insights.
Please keep writing, Thank you ever so much, An admirer from California
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 147
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This is the first posting I am reading this morning and I have to say it makes me feel much better!... Keep up the good work ! Belizean people are amazing, and canadians are doing well too ! Karin in Ottawa
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