7 News Belize

Karl Cometh, (and Goeth) Without Much Fuss
posted (September 15, 2010)
The center of Tropical Storm Karl made landfall 30 miles north of Chetumal this morning after 8:00 am. No major damage was reported in Chetumal - or along the coast of Quintana Roo - which is to say Sam's Club is safe and open for business.

But with winds of 65 miles per hour, the storm did do some damage. Our storm chaser Monica Bodden has been in northern Belize and southern Mexico since morning to see what Karl did. Here's her report.

Monica Bodden, Reporting
Tropical Storm Karl made landfall at 7:45 this morning - about 30 miles east - northeast of Chetumal Mexico. Skies were grey in Corozal Town - when we arrived this morning. Seas where choppy as the winds picked up the atmosphere was indeed gloomy 16:50…. As residents of the Town locked up inside their homes.

All Waiting to see what tropical Storm Karl will bring to our surprise things cleared up a little before 10 o'clock this morning as the rains ceased - the skies cleared up and the winds began to calm down.

We caught up with Mayor of Corozal Town who told us what happened as Tropical Storm Karl brushed Corozal.

Hilberto Campos - Mayor of Corozal Town
"First of all we are very grateful to the good Lord that it hasn't been worse and the storm was being monitored from yesterday from about 2 pm. The NEMO had gathered and we had been looking out for the storm. No life threatening, everything has been restored back in Corozal Town with the exception of the fallen trees as you can see so that's going to be the responsibility for the Corozal Town Council to come and clean up. But we are very glad that it didn't really escalate to any worse proportions."

According to Campus - there hasn't been any major flooding in the Corozal District.

Hilberto Campos - Mayor of Corozal Town
"Not major flooding. There were about 4 different families housed in Sarteneja that were kind of flooded but they refused to leave their homes and they remained there and we are still monitoring the situation whether or not the water will rise and as you can see in Corozal it has already stopped raining. Like I said the only problem now that we have in town is the cleaning up of the town with the fallen trees."

This morning about 11 o'clock there was a small mishap at the Pueblo Veijo Ferry.

Hilberto Campos - Mayor of Corozal Town "We had a situation at the ferry in which the water receded too quickly and the banks of the river were dry and the ferry got stuck with a bus. It only lasted for a couple of hours, we solved the matter and we were glad that it really didn't go worse."

We further made our way to the Corozal Free Zone were workers were sent home. The entire Free Zone was closed for business and no one was allowed to enter.

With maximum sustained winds of up to 65 miles per hour - Tropical Storm Karl did create some damage in Chetumal Mexico. We made our way across the border and this was what we saw.

Debris were still lying on the streets of Chetumal trees were rooted up and the streets were flooded, when we got to this pier- fishermen were trying to pull out 6 sunken skiffs from the sea.

The boats were dock were docked at the pier in hopes to weather the storm - as you can see that didn't quite happen. The roof of certain structures were completely destroyed. This billboard couldn't survive the winds.

Cleaning up for the City started early as workers tried moving the fallen trees. This one huge tree is a testament of how strong the winds were gusting. As we patrolled the seaside in water as deep as our knees - all we saw was a lot of fallen trees. And instead of mini taxi's this morning - the locals got around on foot as the entire seaside area was blocked off my police officers.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize