7 News Belize

Flash Flood Swamps Democracia, Shuts Down Highway
posted (September 19, 2013)
It's been raining for days, and we all knew that something somewhere had to give with the rivers running over their banks and the ground so inundated. And today, it did with a flash flood in La Democracia caused by the Sibun River breaking its bank. Several homes on the Coastal road ended up under water due to the fast rising waters. Our team headed out there but couldn't reach because the rushing water broke a culvert at mile 27 on the Western Highway closing down the road. Monica Bodden was there:..

Monica Bodden reporting
Traffic was backed-up this morning as this pool of water settled over the road at mile 27 on the Western highway.

Police officers were deployed to the area - to render assistance and to inform motorists about the current situation they were faced with - Vehicles were not allowed to cross a specific section of the highway - after one of its culverts was washed away by the force of the flooded water. If you notice closely, both sides of this particular culvert are washed away - leaving minimal support underneath the road.

Lennox Bradley - Chief Engineer, Ministry of Works/Transport
"We had a situation unfortunately this morning where we did receive reports from some of our people who were traveling towards Belize City early this morning about the situation with the flooding here between miles 25 and 27. Then later on this morning we got additionally reports that one of the culverts was being undermined and in the interest in trying to protect their safety of road users we had to block until we did a more thorough inspection of the culvert."

Bradley spoke about the worst case scenario and their temporary plan to remedy the situation so vehicles could pass the area.

Lennox Bradley - Chief Engineer, Ministry of Works/Transport
"As you notice the water was passing at quite a fast pace and so the velocity of the water damage both the exit and entrance of the culvert and also if you look more closely the culvert itself appears to be broken - that was the cause of the concern for us. How we intend to do it right now is allow the small vehicles to pass and then we will excavate what is there and back fill it with boulders. We cannot install culverts right now. It will be install as soon as the water permit us to install. Heavy goods vehicle maybe later on could pass."

At one point, the water flowing across the road measured up to 3 feet high or even more- but quickly receded.

By 12 noon, small vehicles were allowed to pass the area and bus commuters swiftly walked over through the flooded waters and onto the other side in hope of hitchhiking to their destination.

Mark Nolberto - Bus Commuter
"I am really happy with James Bus because it's their bus that we came on. They had two other buses on the other side coming from Belize to Belmopan - they should have the people coming from Dangriga take that bus to go back to the City."

Monica Bodden
"You are walking over but you don't have a ride to take you to Belize City?"

Mark Nolberto - Bus Commuter
"Not really."

Reporter
"What are you going to do?"

Mark Nolberto - Bus Commuter
"I will have to hitchhike from here to Belize City because I need to get back to Dangriga."

The good news is that water was quick to run off and the culvert was filled early this afternoon and the water has receeded in La Democracia and Mahogany Heights. No one was hurt.

But there's flooding in other parts of the country as well. Flood waters in the Rio Hondo continue to rise cutting off the communities of Santa Cruz, San Roman, San Antonio and Douglas. Two civilian boats supplied by the people of Orange walk were deployed to cover the areas from San Roman to Douglas. The Belize Defense Force River patrol between Santa Cruz and San Roman will remain in place to provide assistance to the people in the area. The BDF and Belize National Coast Guard is on standby to support NEMO operations in the north.

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