7 News Belize

Storm Seasoned Residents of Corozal Get Ready For Ernesto
posted (August 7, 2012)
Right now Corozal should be experiencing the first hints of Tropical Storm force winds - but the mayor told is just now its overcast, drizzling and there's only a slight breeze.

Hurricane Ernesto is headed for Mahahual - northeast of Chetumal, but the closest point to that in Belize is Corozal, so as the storm approaches land, Corozal town and outlying communities continue to vigilantly monitor its progress and weigh what their next move should be - that is, if they need to make any moves as all.

7News went to Corozal to see just how seriously the residents were taking the storm.

Here's what we found out:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Hurricane Ernesto is currently projected to pass over Southern most areas of Mexico, but the entire district of Corozal is taking no chances.

The Residents were busy securing their homes in the event that the storm makes an unexpected shift.

Mayor Hilberto Campus - Vice-Chair, NEMO Corozal
"The municipality, the town council itself has its own emergency plan that is already in effect. You can see that the town hall is fully secure from early this morning. The employees have been release to take care of their homes. In general we have been warning the people to keep an eye - a close look at the storm. We have been monitoring - we had a meeting this morning at 10am and basically the biggest challenge would be the district itself - the areas of Sarteneja, Copper Bank, Chunnox, Consejo which are the flood prone areas. All our committees and all the different groups are in full action and are ready and aware, it's just a matter of waiting and see the direction of the storm and how quickly we would have to evacuate certain areas."

Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, what sort of plan of action you guys have for those areas you spoke about which are prone to flooding?"

Mayor Hilberto Campus - Vice-Chair, NEMO Corozal
"Well we have like I mention all the different committees are in action and full awareness. We have the different transportation committee that would be taking care of the transportation of these people that will be affected, again like I mention Sarteneja is one of the areas that we are mostly looking at. Different areas that will be required to allocate people - to evacuate people - shelters will be open, transportation and all the different committees are in place and again it's just a matter of time. As you can see it's barely raining here in Corozal. However we are keeping a close eye and look at the direction that this storm will be taken. The way we see it any direction it takes, it will be affecting those specific areas."

Willard Levy - District Coordinator, NEMO Corozal
"At this moment all we are trying to do is make sure that we have our shelters ready. In terms of the shelter - we have 11 shelters that will be open at 2pm. These shelters are focused more into the coastal areas and the flood prone areas, for example, we have Sarteneja, Chunnox, Copper Bank, Progresso and in inland we have Ranchito, Calcutta, San Narciso, San Roman and Libertad. Those areas are flood prone, apart from Corozal Town which has some low laying areas which are flood prone. So those are the areas we are focus more into getting people into a safer place."

Because the location of the storm, its strength, and its behavior, the officials are more concerned about the rain and flooding, than the wind.

Mayor Hilberto Campus - Vice-Chair, NEMO Corozal
"The way and the direction it is going it doesn't seem like the breeze will be our problem but the amount of rainfall that will be coming along or behind this storm - even the storm will be passing north of Chetumal which will be by Mahahual if the path continues the amount of rainfall that will be coming or the different things that will be affecting will be basically the flooding."

Willard Levy - District Coordinator, NEMO Corozal
"Corozal is the only district that is still in the woods in respect of the storm. However we are noticing the projected path that it is moving and it is climbing gradually which gives us a little relief even though we cannot underestimate the storm, it can always make a down turn. But even so if it continues its path we are still going to get a little impact of tropical storm winds maybe not as hard but it's something that will be probably effected to some people. It's more or less a tropical storm situation that we are looking at."

With All the preparations that NEMO is making, are the people truly concerned?

Daniel Ortiz
"Based on your interactions with the members of the Corozal community, did they give you the sense that they are taking this storm seriously?"

Mayor Hilberto Campus - Vice-Chair, NEMO Corozal
"Most definitely, here in Corozal Town itself it's not as bad as the different areas of the villages like I mention. But people in Corozal Town are well prepared. There are certain areas that will be requiring evacuation in case of flooding, but it's minimal."

"The biggest challenge is the district itself, the villages like I mention. I keep mentioning Sarteneja, so it's very important for these people to be well aware of the situation and in the need of leaving the villages then they will be required to do so and we will be required to allocate these people."

Daniel Ortiz
"I know that you probably have a couple of members of NEMO on the ground and surveying the situation, how has your interaction been with the community of Corozal? Are they taking this storm seriously?"

Willard Levy - District Coordinator, NEMO Corozal
"Not in terms of seriously but we have a few people that are starting to get ready. We made announcements from yesterday after we activate it to start to get ready, prepare yourselves for this storm that is coming on. It's a thing that people just look on. They are monitoring the progress of the storm and today people are well verse on the movement of the storm. They listen to NEMO but you have some other people that really need the assistance and those are the ones that we are more focusing to assist."

"In an overview, people are getting ready on a timely basis. They are doing their own purchasing They are doing their own securing of their houses and everything but on a slow pace. But they are doing it gradually."

As a part of its preparation, NEMO sent out a directive that all businesses in Corozal must close to allow employees to secure their homes and families.

It is hard to tell if it is because of the forecasts for Ernesto, or the usual misplaced excitement in the hurricane season, but the owners of the Princess Hotel and Casino adjoining the freezone refused to comply with the order.

Reliable reports to 7News are that this is serial behavior of lack of cooperation from this establishment. Sure enough, Corozal police were dispatched to force them to comply.

But if the calm of the Corozal Bay is any indication, they will be able to resume business tomorrow without incident.

NEMO Corozal opened several hurricane shelters, but up until 3 p.m. when our news team left, no one had taken refuge. We just called him again - and he informs us that five families have taken shelter.

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

7 News Belize