AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Weather Tropical Storms & Hurricanes Damage Assessment Tues AM

Category 4 hurricane Iris made landfall sometime around 7:30
p.m. Monday, October 8, 2001. It moved quickly through the
area of Monkey River, Big Creek, Independence and Placencia
and by 9:30 p.m. it had already done its damage and was
heading west towards Guatemala. Reports from Placencia
indicate that many houses and many business places
have been damaged. One boat Wave Dancer in the Big Creek
area reportedly overturned during the storm. There were 28
people onboard most of whom were tourists. At least eight have
survived. Extensive damage to the banana, rice and shrimp
farming industry is also expected but is yet to be assessed.

Damage Assessment

Monkey River - Major damage in Monkey River. Most houses
destroyed. Only buildings left standing are the Community
Center and the Health Center.
Silver Creek - 98% of houses Destroyed. Only church building and
new school remain standing.
Hopkins village - Two Restaurants Fallen into the sea: Swinging
Armadillo and Over the Waves. High tension wires down on the
Southern Highway between Hopkins Village and Silk Grass.
Independence - Many houses on the ground, roof of Hotel Hello
blew off, Michael Ashcroft Stadium destroyed.
Seine Bight - Many Houses on the ground including the church and
school buildings
Punta Gorda - Some houses lost their roofs.
Rural Toledo - Thatch Houses destroyed.
San Antonio, Toledo - 20 homes destroyed.
Bella Vista, Toledo - Many houses destroyed
Big Falls - 95% of houses destroyed.
Placencia - 100% of properties have been damaged. Many businesses are damaged: Conchie's Villa's,
Julia's Guest House, Bella Beach Restaurant, Cozy Corner,
Ranguana Lodge, The Thatch Cafe, Sea Horse Dive Shop, J-Bird's
Bar, Dockside Bar, Temptations Bar, Sonny's Resort, and more.


[This message has been edited by Marty (edited 10-09-2001).]

Marty, You have been great for the relief for Ambergris last year. Are you setting up something similar ? Please !...How can we help from here (Canada) ???

Yes, what can we do to help Marty?
Thank you so much for keeping us updated.

From Terry Warburton:

This sent to me from Belmopan Hotel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
aftermath of iris rough assesment: southern district took a beating
iris move through very fast which helped , not as much rain as expected
because of quick pass


big creek
banana farms sufferd about 95% damage, shrimp farms seriously damage also,
many house leveled by beach areas, many roofs off
and house damage, school with 600 people roof off,


punta gorda
so far just falling trees across roads, roofs off , many falling lines.some
lost in rice
road starting flooding no casualties so far in punta gorda.
remember thats it is night so tomorrow you will get better update


placencia
about 4 feet storm surge badly damage


belize city
calm


corozal very quiet


Belmopan
overfill with people and the belmopan hotel full, too


seine bieth terrible
water went up badly damage many houses church in the street


monkey river


george town
little damage just few houses damage


stann creek valley
little damage to citrus but will have to make better assesment


personal lost will be very high we do have some casaulties
but will have to confirm ( rumours ) also radio says wave dancer went down
with passengers , also other vessels but remember these will have to be
confirmed

more later today

HURRICANE IRIS DAMAGE REPORT


by Wendy Auxillou de le Fuente, Caye Caulker


Morning 6:30 a.m., Belize Time, Tuesday morning, October 9th, 2001
____________________________________________

Report coming in from emergency radio network on Caye Caulker. Just talked to my daughter Wendy on the phone at the island. Phone service working. But electricity was cut off from 4 p.m. yesterday afternoon. Has not been started up again yet. So no computer e-mail communications possible. Winds were only 50 to 60 mph at the Caye and the tide rise was like a Spring neap tide. No bridges damaged.


Caye Caulker had high tide, up to steps of houses, but nothing serious. Lot of counter current flow of beach reclamation. Some lost sand, others gained sand and beach. Wendy says in front of our property, they gained sand to a ridge of 5 feet. The split has widened. Otherwise no damage there.


Wave Dancer story is clarified. Wave Dancer the dive boat had not been out to Lighthouse Atoll and Blue Hole. It had been enroute down to Placentia lagoon to find a secure place to put the boat for the storm. The inner sea is a 100 ft deep and can get 9 foot seas in a short time in any kind of wind of 50 mph. Wave Dancer sunk enroute down the coast on the inner sea. Tourists were aboard. They should have been able to swim ashore with lifejackets.


Rumored dead in Placentia is about 50. One resort the Serenity survived and one house. Everything else damaged or destroyed.


Mango Creek, 2 schools lost roofs, as also the 3 hurricane shelters. There are more dead in Mango Creek.


Warning to the flood plain denizens of Orange Walk and Corozal District area. Flash flood is coming down the river. The water is rising at 8 inches an hour. With no jungle in the Peten anymore to hold water, expect a steady rise of water and flooding in Belize in the flood plain downstream.


San Ignacio people asked to go to high ground. They are not sure the dam will hold the Flash Flood and it might break. The Flood at the dam and in San Ignacio area is expected to peak this afternoon.


Toledo. Five villages were completely destroyed. No exact details yet. Thank heavens we had raised hell about putting in emergency telephones in the Toledo District villages!

[This message has been edited by Marty (edited 10-09-2001).]

Reading this from the UK is horrific, living through it must be hell. If we can help in any way please let us know. Our thoughts are with you all.

Ditto to what Linda said......

I'll try to get with the NEMO folks and see what we can do to help.

All classes have been canceled for Tuesday, October 9, 2001

11 bodies recovered from overturned Wave Dancer in Big Creek port, 11 still missing

All Clear has been declared for the entire country of Belize with a caution for the south Stann Creek and Toledo districts.

Iris damage report


7:20 a.m. Tuesday morning, Belize time. ( from the Belize Development Trust, Hurricane network of volunteers )
_________________________


Reports are some structures still standing in Independence. But few. The water tower and the telecommunications tower are two.


Apparently two boats were ferrying people from Placentia to Big Creek dock, which is the regular ferry run from the Peninsular and Placentia town. Not sure of this, but apparently they were running as water was rising with storm surge. One, or maybe both, overturned with people aboard during the late decision to evacuate Placentia. Quite a few people died of drowning.


There is a massive need for a barge, or truck loads, of zinc roofing materials going to be needed down south.


Most roofs lost in Independence, Mango Creek, Sein Beight, Silver Creek, Monkey River and five Toledo villages.


There are power lines down across the road as high up as between Hopkins and Silk Grass. Lots of electric poles down in effected area. Most of them in fact with cables curling around everywhere. Fortis or BEL have to get crews down there and do a repeat of Hurricane Keith. Wonder if they think they made a good investment still?


In Monkey River only the Community Center and the Health Center are okay.