At the top of the newscast we told you that Tropical Depression Matthew spared Belize: nothing was seriously damaged and no one was hurt.

But there was some drama. From what we have been able to glean from satellite images, the center of storm made landfall on Placencia at about 11:30 am - but the worst was felt about an hour and a half earlier - when many have told us - they simply weren't expecting it.

Of course, the nature of storms is that they are unpredictable - and no one expected the storm surge that crashed unto Placencia's shore and the howling winds that uprooted trees on Saturday morning. We culled pictures and a short video from a number of kind viewers on the peninsula. Chairman Charles Leslie Jr told us more via telephone�.

Charles Leslie Jr. - Chairman - Placencia Village
"I would say the storm made landfall full around 10 o' clock on Saturday morning and there was 40 miles per hour wind. The storm was packing from about 10 - 12 o' clock, we only got slight rain until about 8:30 that morning and after that we didn't really get any other significant or any rain at all until Saturday."

Andrea Polanco
"So what was the condition of the sea like at that time?"

Charles Leslie Jr. - Chairman - Placencia Village
"It was very rough, the video I sent I would say the wind at that time was about 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 30-35 miles per hour."

Andrea Polanco
"Placencia had beach erosion? That's the only damage you had down there?"

Charles Leslie Jr. - Chairman - Placencia Village
"Yes that was pretty much the most significant damage that we receive during the storm that was beach erosion. There was one building that collapse due to the high winds of 40 miles per hour but no one got hurt. The structure to begin with wasn't all that stable, it was a very small building that was built on stilts and fortunately no one got hurt. There were some flooding along the beach area around the Trade Winds cabanas but I doubt that water actually got into the cabins because they were built about maybe 2-3 feet off the ground."

Andrea Polanco
"So what was the preparation like for tropical storm Matthew is Placencia Village?"

Charles Leslie Jr. - Chairman - Placencia Village
"Well most people because of the experience with hurricane Iris, most people were prepared a couple of days before the storm actually came even close to Belize. Under the advice of NEMO, I advise people that if they want to do a voluntary evacuation let them do so as soon as possible. Some people did but most people kept themselves inform via the internet as well as the radio stations. I personally were keeping people inform by talking directly to NEMO almost on a hourly basis. We did not ever get mandatory evacuation from NEMO so most people decided that they would stick it out."

Things are back to normal in that village where classes resumed this morning.

According to international news reports, The hardest-hit location in the storm's path seems to have been the Guatemalan city of Puerto Barrios.

Channel 7