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Courtney Weatherburne
"I am walking in about 6 inches of water on the Antelope Extension. It's one of the most affected areas after the weekend downpour. This is what is left after 10 inches of rain fell in the city between Saturday and Sunday. That has left this vulnerable area inundated. Many residents were forced into shelters with little or no personal items. While the waters have receded and the rains have stop for now, it's still not enough for residents to return home."

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
It is in these classrooms that several families are staying- for now it's the closest thing to a home.

Shellimae Crawford, Nemo Coordinator
"What we have here now is what we have. We had to have people that were in the Gwen Lizarraga shelter were transferred over here because they were out of electricity. So they had them come over this side. So that is what we have."

Courtney Weatherburne
"How many people are here right now?"

Shellimae Crawford, Nemo Coordinator
"We have in this shelter, one of the shelters here at ITVET, we have 27 individuals that is made up of 11 families. And the other area we have 43 persons and that is also made up of 11 families."

22 families with young children and a bag of a few food supplies - it's hardly enough to survive on, but they say they have nothing else.

Courtney Weatherburne
"You are here with your family right, your daughter?"

Martha Gordon, Euphrates Resident
"Yes ma'am. Four kids, and a grandbaby."

Courtney Weatherburne
"How old is your grandbaby?"

Martha Gordon, Euphrates Resident
"2 years."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Tell us about the state of your house? You said everything pretty much washed away."

Martha Gordon, Euphrates Resident
"Yes ma'am, everything washed away in my house. Everything. We didn't save anything."

Courtney Weatherburne
"It's pretty much what you and your kids have on your back right now, that's all you own right now?"

Martha Gordon, Euphrates Resident
"Yes ma'am, that's all we have right now."

Oscar Palacios, Antelope Street Resident
"I was working yesterday. I am a security guard and my wife sent me a text saying to come home because the house was flooded. I ran home and I saw everything in water and I started to take out my family one by one. The water was up to my chest."

Courtney Weatherburne
"How old is your baby?"

Oscar Palacios, Antelope Street Resident
"2 months old."

Ernest Quionote, Flood Victim
"All the houses back there are low and lots of people were angry, because there are snakes and the children are playing in the water. A snake nearly bit me this morning in the water. I saw it when it was coming and I move out the way."

Marleni Quinote, Mother of 3
"When we were coming out, it was flooded. I couldn't come out and neither my 3 children. I was calling for help and they gave me so many numbers to call and my husband and I didn't know what to do because we got frustrated, because the water was in the house up to our knees and we were trying to take out the kids. We had a little refrigerator and we put our children in there and we bring them out in the refrigerator."

Sherilyn Seguro, Mother of 9
"I have 9 kids. I live at Antelope Extension and my mattress and all the clothes are wet. Whenever we leave from this shelter, I don't know where I will go."

Courtney Weatherburne
"You said you and your kids had to be carried out in a boat."

Sherilyn Seguro, Mother of 9
"If we even leave from here and get back to the house, how will we manage? I have my baby and I don't have anywhere else to go." Dislocated and hopeless - these families say they will have to stay in this shelter until the water fully recedes and their house and belongings dry. But in the meantime, what is the City Mayor doing to assist these flood victims?

Darrell Bradley, Mayor, Belize City
"At the present moment the assessment team from NEMO has been deployed throughout Belize City. There are two teams that are on the Southside of Belize City and there is one team on the Northside and each of those teams has representatives from CEMO that are along with them. The priority areas are concentrating on infrastructure and also housing needs and also urgent government buildings. The Ministry of Human Development are already providing relief in terms of cleaning supplies which have been a significant demand. Yesterday they provided emergency kits which have elements of food stuff in there. The Red Cross who were here were providing blankets. I know that the city administrator coordinated an effort in terms of getting clothing supplies. In terms of that, more structured response that you were getting at, that structured response will roll out immediately after a final report has been done and that will be done by NEMO. The Prime Minister advised yesterday that of course he will bring in line ministries; Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Human Development, the Ministry of Housing. But at the CEMO level, we are urging for that to be done as quickly as possible."

So, these families will have to stay put until that report is issued and a relief plan is finalized. But in natural disasters there are no quick fixes - and these folks know that they've got some trying days ahead.

At this point there are 107 people in shelters in the city. NEMO and Human development teams have been sent to both the Northside and Southside to assist flood victims. The two main areas that are still flooded among others are the Faber's Road Extension and the area behind the Complex Building. The Prime Minster will hold a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the city relief plan.