$77 million in damages – that’s what Tropical Storm Arthur
and the subsequent floods did to Belize. That’s the finding of a preliminary
assessment done by a group of government agencies. It was presented today in
Belmopan and here are the basic findings.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The rain, winds and floods impacted 40 communities countrywide, an area including
7,000 households, 155 of which were directly impacted by the storm. 17 houses
in the south were completely destroyed and in the north the number is 9.
In homes not destroyed, damage to household items amounted to $4.5 million.
$10 million is needed to repair and replace damaged homes.
364 persons were forced into shelters in the Stann Creek District, 100 in Orange
Walk, 73 in the Corozal District and 80 in the Belize District. 73% of persons
directly affected were women and children. The total losses to the housing sector
is estimated at $10.2 million.
In infrastructure, the damaged culverts on the Hummingbird Highway will cost
$150,000 to repair. The Mullins River Bridge will cost $5 million and the Kendall
Bridge will cost $10 million.
In agriculture, 5% of the citrus crop, about 1,500 acres was lost, and that’s
because most of the crop had already been harvested. Still losses to the citrus
industry are estimated at $7.9 million. 913 acres of rice were lost in the Blue
Creek area, amounting to $1.7 million. Sugar cane lost another 1,800 acres.
All totalled, the loss to agriculture was $14.2 million.
In aquaculture, Paradise Shrimp Farm in Mullins River, had damages of $2.4
million.
All told, the preliminary assessment of damages is for $77.6 million. The recovery
needs are estimated to be $45.8 million.
The lobster season which opens next week is also expected to be affected;
a downturn of 25% in earnings is projected. There have been no outbreaks of
infectious diseases and we’ll show you more about health monitoring later
on. And amidst all this, there is a tropical wave heading to Belize right now
and showers and thundershowers are expected after noon tomorrow.
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