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#444736 08/17/12 06:34 AM
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,396
Marty Offline OP
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Last week, Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in the southern areas of Mexico, with the Corozal District getting some of its effects. Corozal was very prepared for that storm and nothing much happened.

And, according to forecasts, tropical depression 7 for 2012 was supposed to bring only minor effects to the district, and as a result, no one was paying it much attention.

But, this system produced over 12 hours of rain, which resulted in unexpected wide-spread flooding in the low lying areas of the entire district, catching everybody off-guard.

NEMO Corozal and other authorities had to activate to help the villagers who were affected to evacuate and secure their personal items. 7News went to Corozal to see the effects of the flooding, and here's what we found out:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
More than 12 hours of rain has flooded the low lying villages in the Corozal District.

The downpour was enough to the highway at San Jose/San Pablo - Turn yards in to lakes in Concepcion; make rivers out of the streets in Libertad; form lagoons on the sides of the highway in San Joaquin and force the villagers to generally wait for the water level to lower after it entered their homes.

Some of them enjoyed the excess water; while others looked on in hopes that the storms would finish.

The bottom line is, however, that no one expected the heavy down pour.

Mayor Hilberto Campos - Vice Chair NEMO Corozal
"The people of Corozal weren't expecting so much rain to fall last night. Early this morning we woke up and found many areas flooded like the areas of Chula Vista which are in my opinion from what I have asses is the worst. People are 3-4 feet under water."

Willard Levy - District Coordinator, NEMO Corozal
"Too much water we had last night. As a result of that we had to open some shelters to assist people that were under water. In the Chula Vista layout which was the worst damage area - there were some areas that we under 3-4 feet of water and people and all their belongings got wet up. They requested assistance to move their belongings to a safe area to families and friends."

"We opened 4 shelters today namely CCC (Corozal Community College), Guadalupe RC, Xaibe RC and we also had Libertad Methodist - those were the shelters that were open. However up to midday today there were only 7 persons in the Guadalupe RC. People are not really particular in going into the shelters now, but rather removing their property and putting it into safe areas - to friends and relatives."

And the authorities moved to assist people perfecting their response over time.

Lionel Forte - Vice Chair, Corozal North Committee
"I got calls from people in our constituency, so immediate we got in touch with the minister and we start mobilizing. We came out here this morning from about 7:30-8:00 in the morning and all we had was that little raft there that we start pulling out, equipment; refrigerators and stoves from people houses. It's an ongoing thing; we've been out here from 7:30-8:00am this morning."

Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, I see that effort has increase from that raft to the dump trucks that are helping people."

Lionel Forte - Vice Chair, Corozal North Committee
"Absolutely, the minister got on the phone right away and he brought the dump trucks out and he bought the back hoe and we start bringing people out in the dump trucks. We had like 3 elderly ladies that we brought out on the little inflatable raft this morning and we put them in the truck and we brought them to the shelter. People just don't want to go to the shelters, I don't know why, we ask them from this morning to come out and go to the shelter - they refuse. Now the rain starts again."

But they are mainly concerned about the structural damage and the devastation to the agricultural sector in the north

Hon. Hugo Patt - Corozal North Representative
"The north of the country has been getting a double hit I can say. Just last week we had the advent of Hurricane Ernesto, while we did not have as much structural damages - there were indeed damages to crops but this situation we have with the flooding is something that is really disastrous. It caught people off guard and it's just a matter of raining 9-10 hours overnight and people as early as 3-4 o' clock started to call in and tell us their situation. We were out here from early in the morning and indeed the situation doesn't look any better as you would realize the rain is still hitting us and there is going to be severe damage structurally not only in areas here in Chula Vista but this I could safely say is throughout the north of the country."

Plans are being put together to assist with recovery as well as to alleviate the effects future flooding in the north

Hon. Hugo Patt - Corozal North Representative
"Definitely this matter has been address by NEMO. This is something we are going to discuss once the assessment is finish and certainly we would be looking into that matter as we will be looking into the matter that we are having presently."

"While we cannot do as much when it comes to the weather system but I am certain that there are measures that we can take to prevent especially such flooding to occur from in the near future."

When our News team left, there were still periods of intermittent rains, and NEMO expects that the rains could continue tonight, and possibly tomorrow.

We'll have more footage from the flooding later on in the newscast.


Corozal Still Flooded....

As we told you at the top of the newscast - many parts of northern Corozal are flooded tonight. At this hour, the floodwaters are receding in some areas of Corozal town where the drainage is working well; it's stopped raining for the time being, but the rain is forecast to continue into tomorrow.

Footage taken by our colleagues at Baymen North within Corozal Town show how heavy the flooding is in some areas - so much so that only dogs seems to be enjoying it.

In the villages, the water level is still more or less the same as we left it this evening - which is that it has gotten into some people's homes in villages like San Joaquin and Libertad. At this point though, families have simply secured their belongings - but have not moved into shelters.

Channel 7


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,396
Marty Offline OP
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Flooding in Northern Belize

Constant rains have affected residents of several villages in the Corozal District.  Reporter Patrick Jones travelled north and has the story.

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“Torrential rains overnight have left much of the Corozal District flooded. From San Victor to Concepcion to Libertad, residents of Corozal District are bailing out after flooding in their various localities.  For his part, Area Representative for Corozal Southwest, Ramiro Ramirez told Love News that he has been out from early trying to assist residents from his constituency.”

RAMIRO RAMIREZ

Area Representative

Corozal Southwest

“Well I have eight main villages in the area, I could say nine of them because this flooding is tremendous.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“What are the particular difficulties you are facing here?”

RAMIRO RAMIREZ

Area Representative

Corozal Southwest

“Well the flooding, a lot of families here especially in Libertad, they are suffering and mattress and all those thing s are wet.  NEMO was here earlier but they only wrote down and then they left.  I think they should assist with something.  I think NEMO has all the resources to help this community and nothing yet.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“I noticed some of the ----equipment you brought out here are yours.”

RAMIRO RAMIREZ

Area Representative

Corozal Southwest

“Yes, everything is mine.  I compromised myself with my constituency that I am going to work with them and I am doing that.  I give thanks that they voted for me and I will keep working for them.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“You’re trying to dig drains or widen drains – what are you doing to try to help?”

RAMIRO RAMIREZ

Area Representative

Corozal Southwest

“What we’re doing right now is to open certain areas, I know the roads will be affected but right now that is very important to try to take out water from their houses.  When we get some sun I am going to send the grader to fix it again because it is very important – road is a way of communication and I know that right now I am affecting the road but I will fix it later.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“I remember back at the time of the budget debate, one of your presentations, you were very concerned about this very kind of thing happening in your constituency.”

RAMIRO RAMIREZ

Area Representative

Corozal Southwest

“Yes, I do and I took some pictures on that day of the disciplined budget and I presented that to the Prime Minister that one of the most important part here in Libertad is the drainage system and I am imploring the Prime Minister to please help this constituency – it’s not helping Ramiro, it’s helping the constituency, the people of Belize.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“Now aside from Libertad I take it that Concepcion and San Victor are also flooded?

RAMIRO RAMIREZ

Area Representative

Corozal Southwest

“Yes, the roads are.  Again, I asked that on the presentation of the budget, I took some pictures and told them that I need some better roads.  The most important part right now, this rain is affecting everybody and crop will soon start in November so I am imploring this Government to please assist the sugar s because we don’t have good sugar road, how are going to deliver our product  - that’s very important.  And you know, I could say the backbone of the country because this year we put to the GDP almost $110 million dollars, so I think we deserve at least something.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“Now, Ramiro you’re supervising the works out here?  I don’t see anyone from Ministry of Works or NEMO out here.”

RAMIRO RAMIREZ

Area Representative

Corozal Southwest

“No only myself and my supporters, the people who are affected.  I can say that both PUP and UDP are affected here so we are a complete family, we are one family.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“The situation continues to be monitored should in case residents will need to be transferred to hurricane shelters because of the flooding and Love News will continue to follow this developing story.”

LOVEFM


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,396
Marty Offline OP
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Never Underestimate a Tropical Depression

... And now a weak tropical depression which followed almost the same track as Ernesto makes landfall about a week after; it brought heavy rainfall to the northern district of Corozal. There was massive flooding, homes were inundated, streets were impassable, crop was ruined and people had to evacuate their homes to shelters that the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) had to make available.

Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the Ambergris Today


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,396
Marty Offline OP
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Flood Waters Recede in Corozal

Residents of the Corozal district continue to endure flooded villages and neighborhoods.  Overnight rains on Wednesday caused at least nine villages and parts of Corozal town itself to be inundated.  A number of persons from affected areas had to seek refuge in the Guadalupe Church building in the Chula Vista area of Corozal town.  Willard Levy is the District Emergency Coordinator in Corozal and he told Love News via telephone this morning that the sun is out and the worst of the flooding is over.

WILLARD LEVY

Coordinator

Corozal’s District Emergency

“It is receding gradually right now.  With the exception of certain areas that are stagnant and private lots that are filled with water but in terms of the extreme flooding, it is receding gradually.  Most of the areas have already restored from the flood.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“What is the situation in the villages like Libertad, Concepcion, San Victor?”

WILLARD LEVY

Coordinator

Corozal’s District Emergency

“The water is receding; right now we have the team deployed to do assessment of damages throughout the district.”

On Thursday, an advisory was sent out asking residents of flooded areas not to consume untreated water as a precautionary measure because many of the wells may be contaminated.  Levy told Love News that about seven people remain holed up in the Guadeloupe Church in the Chula Vista area of Corozal town and they are expected to remain there for the next two to three days until they can return to their homes.

LOVEFM


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,396
Marty Offline OP
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Updates on the Corozal flooding


A home effected by the flood

A residents home

Residents in several areas of the Corozal District have been trying to recover from floods in the area a week ago. Reporter Arturo Cantun has the story.

While in the field our reporter also came across some villagers who feel that negligence on the part of officials contributed to the extent of damages.


LOVETV



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