7 News Belize

Daniel Ortiz, Stormchaser
posted (August 4, 2016)
So far on the news tonight we've told you all about the response to Hurricane Earl at the official level. But, what about the ground level? Well, you know 7News…we were out there last night, and this morning to see the storm and gauge the terrible aftermath. Daniel Ortiz has the report:...

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Just after our newscast, we set out just after 8 p.m. to take a tour around Belize City. Immediately outside of our office, the rain was already pouring down.

Across Swing Bridge, we found a homeless man under assault from the downpour, and out by Marine Parade, some 20 minutes later, the tropical storm force winds were evident in the trees.

Down by the hanger area, the thunderstorm was in overdrive, and try as we might, it kept covering the lens.

Daniel Ortiz
"We're out here at around 9:30 at this time, it's a little bit tough, the rain is starting to pick up but the breeze is the most important thing that we're feeling so far. At this time we expect that in 2 and a half hours' time from now, it should get a little bit worse."

We thought we were the only ones out on Marine Parade, but to our surprise we found this man roaming sea front taking it.

Eustest Lemoth - Enjoying the Hurricane
"I know that it is dangerous too and I am concerned about everything but I just want to fulfill my dream."

Daniel Ortiz
"That dream is?"

Eustest Lemoth - Enjoying the Hurricane
"Walk in a hurricane."

When things cooled off a little bit, we went out on New Road to find that just over 3 hours of rain had already started to flood it.

That was it for us for the evening, because pushing it anymore would mean risking yourself and our equipment.

Waking up the next morning, we found all manner of damage after the storm. Some streets were inundated by water, there were downed power lines, fallen trees, entire bus stops toppled. Even Regent Street was covered with silt from the storm surge which dumped sea water about a mile or more from the Belize City Coastline all the way inland.

The storm even picked up this slab of concrete on the sea wall dumped it a few feet away on the street in the Southern Foreshore area.

What was Eustest Lemont's dream to walk around in the hurricane became the worst nightmare for other residents of the flood prone areas.

For the residents of Reggae Street in the Yabra area, Hurricane Earl was Hurricane Richard all over again.

Catherine Valencio, who was devastated by Richard found her home once again damaged in the aftermath of Earl. Her roof was damaged, destroying all her belongings.

Daniel Ortiz
"This is the second time you're devastated in this fashion, Richard and now Earl. It must be a situation where you think to yourself 'maybe I must move'."

Catherine Valencio - Disaster Victim, Reggae Street
"I don't have anywhere to go from here, I just want to get the assistance I want to rebuild and I'll take it from there with health and strength from the almighty. Yesterday I left about 3 and came back after 9 this morning and this is what I found when I came home. All damaged, everything is gone, stove, gas tank, house hold items, everything, I lost everything."

Daniel Ortiz
"Where are you and your kids sleeping tonight?"

Catherine Valencio - Disaster Victim, Reggae Street
"I don't know, I have no idea."

Daniel Ortiz
"Ma'am I understand that you are a food vender, and have been working as a single parent for almost 20 years to get to this point."

Catherine Valencio - Disaster Victim, Reggae Street
"Well, I work hard, I sell food, self-employed. I was at Eden Night Club years ago then I went to Elements, I sold rice and beans and cow foot soup and that's my living. I don't know where I'm going from here because I lost everything. I just want to ask people who'd want to support me, to please assist me, my number is 620-5405."

But the most difficult thing for these coastline residents was the storm surge which brought, according to them, 6 feet or more of water.

Delia Woods' daughter told us that they had to retreat into an attic-like area of their apartment to escape the water.

Voice of Disaster Victim, Reggae Street
"The water was about over 7 feet high. We live in the downstairs area of this house and while we were sleeping about after 1 or so, we got up and saw that the water was actually coming in to the upstairs. We went up in the ceiling and that was where we stayed for about 3 to 4 hours until this morning and we came back down when it was already about 6 or 7."

That waters from the storm surge still hadn't retreated from Dane Tillet's Reggae Street home when he invited us in to see what he and his common-law wife were experiencing. We were standing in about a foot of water while inside his hallway.

Daniel Ortiz
"It must be tough to live like this when floods come."

Dane Tillet - Disaster Victim, Reggae Street
"Yes it's tough but we didn't want to go anywhere, we decided we wanted to stay here."

Daniel Ortiz
"How long will it take for all this water to recede so that you can walk around and try to really clean up?"

Dane Tillet - Disaster Victim, Reggae Street
"Maybe it'll take between 2 days."

Daniel Ortiz
"So every time you enter your house you will have to be stepping in water like this?"

Dane Tillet - Disaster Victim, Reggae Street
"Yes."

At the other end of the City, on Mopan Street, Shermane Jones had to battle the wind and the rain after the hurricane gusts tumbled a 20 foot tree into her bedroom, destroying the roof and one of the walls.

Shermane Jones - Disaster Victim, Mopan Street
"I was outside laying down when I heard something make a sudden noise. By the time I reached in here, I saw everything in the room collapse. I just picked up my two grandbabies and ran out of the house because we got coward. When we got here this morning we saw everything destroyed, the bed and everything in the room, we don't have a room again."

Daniel Ortiz
"Is this the reason why your entire house seems to be wet and soaked right now?"

Shermane Jones - Disaster Victim, Mopan Street
"Yes sir, everything is soaked, no clothes, everything is wet. We took out everything because everything is wet, the chest of drawers and everything is wet. I really need someone professionalized to move it out of the house for me. I really need someone to juts try and take it out of my house for me, cut down the whole tree because it's my neighbor's yard it dropped straight into my house."

Daniel Ortiz
"How would people reach you if they see the issues you're going through because of this and they want to help?"

Shermane Jones - Disaster Victim, Mopan Street
"They can reach me at 633-4914."

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