And so with the storm heading straight for the coast, those in, Belize City, the country’s largest population centre – which also sits on that coast – went into scramble mode this morning to stock up on supplies, or make a run to the shelter of inland areas.  This morning, Courtney Weatherburne was out there getting a feel for the hectic pace and she has this story:…

From early this morning, residents have been preparing for Tropical Strom Earl. Cars were lined up at gas stations for fuel. People were rushing and crowding major stores buying all kinds of food supplies.

Courtney Weatherburne
"So you are here at Publics stacking up for the storm?"

Melissa Sanchez - City Resident
"Yes I am because these things don't give a lot of warning when it get close it could change a different direction or become stronger than the normally projected."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So tell me about the supplies you got."

Melissa Sanchez - City Resident
"Well the normal household thing, noodles, toilet paper, your can goods you know."

Courtney Weatherburne
"How about the house is your house secured? Which area of Belize City do you live?"

Melissa Sanchez - City Resident
"8 Miles on the Western Highway; Western Paradise."

Kelley Rivers - City Resident
"Yes we bought groceries you know a lot of canned food, a lot of corn flakes, a lot of La La milk and so on so that the kids at home could have something to eat even in the storm if we can't get out then at least we have these stuff at home. We even buy like soda biscuit if we're not able to get bread because you know the bread usually goes fast. I hope we could get some right now."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So you’re planning to stay home or heading over to shelter?"

Kelley Rivers - City Resident
"Actually I'm heading over to my cousin's house. I think he lives up by mile 13; he actually invited over to stay at his house so that's where we going if not we're going to a shelter."

John Brackett - City resident
"Well I've already did some stocking before earlier I'm now doing the last bits and pieces in getting myself prepared. I have tried to prepare my residence as best as possible. I believe that we'll be getting a lot of water, a lot of flooding and we're in tuned with the news and what's going on. You know we thank NEMO for keeping us abreast about this whole situation."

Shawn Haylock - City Resident
"We board up the house already. I have to secure my fishes, my dog and we just came and we just bought some groceries."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So you're taking this very seriously?"

Shawn Haylock - City Resident
"Very seriously yes because we're almost by Bowen and Bowen so you know the river is right by there so we're taking it very seriously."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So your cart is full."

Jehan Gillett - City Resident
"Yes ma'am we're preparing we don't know what's coming; last minute but ya."

Courtney Weatherburne
"What sort of stuff you bought?"

Jehan Gillett - City Resident
"Um everything, breakfast for the dogs, everything; household items, everything right now but we don't know what's going to happen so ya."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Tell us about your experience with maybe Hurricane Richard or any other previous floods or hurricane. Were you prepared for those?"

Jehan Gillett - City Resident
"Yes I was prepared for it. This time I wasn't and I regret it."

Courtney Weatherburne
"But your still prepared somewhat."

Jehan Gillett - City Resident
"Ya."

While these people are loading up on supplies for their homes or to head over to relatives and friends, many other city residents don’t have that option, they have to try and make these shelters their home for the next couple of days. For Rosita Polanco and her family they know all too well the havoc a storm can leave behind.

Courtney Weatherburne
"What area of Belize City are you guys from?"

Rosita Polanco - City Resident
"Right from the London Bridge from back of swamp."

Courtney Weatherburne
"And you know those areas are the flood prone areas that really get affected?"

Rosita Polanco - City Resident
"Yeah that is true. So we make sure that we come one time at least for the kid's them safety and support them."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So you guys are planning to stay here until the all clear flag is up?"

Rosita Polanco - City Resident
"Everything. We don't know if we will got any house when it done but at least we deh ya, we safe."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So are you all prepared here? Do you have supplies here for you and your kids?"

Geneva Welch - Mother of 5
"Yes ma'am I bought some stuff. So far I no sleep yet but then tonight we more know"

Courtney Weatherburne
"Are you worried and scared about Earl coming?"

Geneva Welch - Mother of 5
"Well kind of especially of small kids."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Do you have your house all secured and will it within stand the rain and the winds?"

Gilbert Pattnett - City Resident
"Our house always get wet, water always go in there."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So definitely you’re going back to a flooded home?"

Gilbert Pattnett - City Resident
"Hopefully I meet the house when we go back."

While there is no guarantee that these residents will have a home to go back to after the storm NEMO personnel are at least trying to create a welcoming and safe space for them at the shelters.

Councilor Jason Edwards - Board Member, CEMO
"We want to ensure that the shelters are being run effectively and to ensure that the people that are there safe and comfortable. It's very important that they are safe and comfortable and also give them a heads up of what to expect and just to let them know that everything is going to be okay. That is what we are here for."

But no one else will be able to experience that comfort here because this shelter is full. 4 families have taken up all 7 classrooms already. The St. Martin’s De Pores Shelter is also packed to capacity while St. John’s Vianney, St. Luke’s and other shelters around the city are quickly filling up.

But while that’s happening in the city, for others, they aren’t planning to stay at any shelter, or in the city any at all:

We found residents, jammed into queues at the bus terminal trying to get to their out district homes or to their relatives out of the city.

The traffic at the terminal has been heavy since yesterday leading into this morning. And the City Terminal Supervisor Andrew Arana says they are doubling up on buses and are prepared to take the crowd of commuters.

Andrew Arana - Terminal Supervisor, Belize City
"The crowd actually came down about 8 o'clock this morning whereby we are sending two bus full at any one time to the west and to the south and the north. However we have a little bit of slow peak for this time so we find out the north is not that hectic but as the time goes by after 12 when people have already secured all their belonging then they will come and make their way here."

"We have people coming mainly from the Cayes going north and to the south. The evacuation started from yesterday whereby people didn't want to take that chance as previous years as they did so they came in from yesterday so the rest of the people are actually here today."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So you guys just arrived in the country?"

Samir Rahman - New Yorker
"We just arrived yeah and we found out there's a storm coming."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So what are you guys planning to do now?"

Samir Rahman - New Yorker
"...Not die (laugh). We're going to head to San Ignacio and hopefully we could get on the bus. Seems a little crowded so we'll see and if we don't get on the bus we'll figure it out maybe come over and stay with you where ever you are."

While these tourists won't enjoy their vacation as planned, it is Belizeans who will endure the force of the blow from what is now hurricane Earl. The best thing to do is stay safe and stay informed.