[Airdate: October 22nd 2008]

And while the waters in western Belize were subsiding, that's only because it was coming down to catchment area in the Belize River Valley.  Here's what residents were doing as they prepared for rising water levels:

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
The two hundred and fifty residents who live in Rancho Dolores Village are cut off from the main road as the only access into their community is underwater. In fact the Rancho Dolores Bridge lies under this line of floating debris. One of the first houses to take in water is this one owned by Juanita Herrera, a single mother of three children. The family has sought shelter inside the primary school building.

Juanita Herrera, Resident - Rancho Dolores Village
"When I saw the flood coming I went and packed my things at the house, things I know I could bring, and secured like my clothes and so and the mattress and the bed I sleep on I put it on the top and the things I could bring over, I came over the bridge with me and my two kids to safety."

Jacqueline Godwin,
While coming over into Rancho Dolores, your house has been greatly impacted by the floodwater, when you go back into that house what are you expecting to see?

Juanita Herrera,
"What I am expecting to see is so awful and terrible because I didn't think the water was coming up so high but you know I just saved myself and my two kids because I said we are not going to drown and we won't stay here for nothing, we will save what we could save and move out."

Melissa Perez, Resident - Rancho Dolores Village
"It is a little scary seeing it coming up so fast because it is rising pretty fast."

Jacqueline Godwin,
Because looking at your back step there is only one dry step left, after that the water will be coming into your house.

Melissa Perez,
"Yes but since that we have everything secured I hope. Tonight I won't be able to sleep in here. Last night I slept in my bed."

Raphael Smith, Resident - Rancho Dolores Village
"This water washed from the Belize River you know. This water washed up about three miles from here, right across from the Belize River right into this river into Spanish Creek and it goes all the way down to Crooked Tree Lagoon. Before the water, this rain came down and Crooked Tree Lagoon was pushing the water back on us so the water was already high. From Crooked Tree Lagoon the water came back way so when the rain comes and the Old River gets full, from the time the dam washed over, Old River overflows and all the water came right down in Spanish Creek come straight over."

Jacqueline Godwin,
You have been nervously monitoring this water. When did all of this happen?

Kay Young, Resident - Rancho Dolores Village
"It started from since Monday but it increased rapidly since last night."

Jacqueline Godwin,
So you haven't decided whether or not you're going to move out?

Kay Young,
"I'm looking at the water right now at this moment in time and probably tonight if it gets even worse then I will decide to evacuate and go to higher grounds."

Water is already affecting Martha and Walter Belisle's residence. We found the couple moving out some of their household possessions.

Jacqueline Godwin,
Right now you are standing in ankle deep water.

Martha Belisle, Resident - Rancho Dolores Village
"Well I will try and take out my things because I don't want them to be condemned. It has been two years since I moved here. Two years since I've lived here and I am 54 years."

Walter Belisle, Resident - Rancho Dolores Village
"I bought a pig. I had it in the pen and I moved it out two days ago and this morning when I got there it was dead. So the pig dead. I met it dead."

Cipriano Smith, Resident - Rancho Dolores Village
"If it is to come more, it is yet to be seen."

Jacqueline Godwin,
So there is still a possibility you and your family might have to move.

Cipriano Smith,
"There is a possibility if it gets worse because we will not be able to live in the house if water is in there."

While cameraman Alex Ellis and I managed to make it by boat to Rancho Dolores Village we had to wade in flooded waters to get into Lemonal Village as the only road into the community was underwater. Here in Lemonal Village 18 families have been affected but the villagers are concerned that if it continues to rain for the next three days then more people will need to be evacuated.

Olive Banner, Chairperson - Lemonal Village
"So far 17 people have to evacuate their homes."

Jacqueline Godwin,
Where are these families staying?

Olive Banner,
"They are staying at the shelter and with families and friends and some are staying with the school and the church."

Fredrick Reynolds, Resident - Lemonal Village
"My bank side runs way under those trees there and for the last four days now it reaches to the creek there because I have a little creek that runs down there and by yesterday evening the water was by my house side. But what happened probably is that it has not affected me much at this stage because my house has a little height. But if it comes this serious by now and tomorrow, I have to move because as you see it is my dorey I am using to back and forth on the road. I can't move back or front, I have to keep my dorey tied right at my step."

Olive Banner,
"They say that we will get more water, that water will come higher."

Jacqueline Godwin,
I know we had to literally wade through the floodwaters to get into your village, how has this affected the villagers from going to and from their community and in getting supplies to Lemonal Village?

Olive Banner,
"Well you see we can't even get out from the village. We are cut off, you can see for yourself when coming in."

Jacqueline Godwin,
How concerned are the villagers about the flood?

Olive Banner,
"They are quite concerned because suppose if anybody gets sick, so the Red Cross says if anybody gets sick we can call them. They give us their cellular number so we can get in contact with them and they will come this side."

Jacqueline Godwin,
As you look at your house and the water surrounding your house, what is your concern tonight?

Rosenda Herrera, Resident - Lemonal Village
"We hope it doesn't get higher because I have my dog, my children. I will need help to take them out."

Jacqueline Godwin,
I notice you've put both your dogs in the boat.

Rosenda Herrera,
"Yes all the dogs are in the boat."

Jacqueline Godwin,
How safe is it though for the children to be wading through the water, do you believe its clean water, its contaminated water, do you believe their safe?

Rosenda Herrera,
"It is not clean and not good either. That is why I keep them upstairs, I don't make them play in the dirty water."

While the parents are concerned about the rising water their children have been enjoying the event. Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7NEWS.

And with water levels reaching record levels in the Belize River Valley, it wasn't long before it saturated the low lying areas of Belize City – this is what it was like in Belama a full two weeks after the first floods had started in Cayo:

[Air date: October 30th]

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
While flooding is nothing new for some residents living in Belama Phases theee and four it is the first time that the water is affecting an even greater number of people in both communities. So far seven families have had to be evacuated from the area but now with water covering most of Belama Phases 3 and 4 it is obvious that far more people will need to leave their homes.

But getting some families to move is as challenging as the rising water.

Marva Gillett, Resident - Belama Phase 3
"I will find somewhere to go but right it is kind of difficult for us to move from here because you don't have a lot of relatives in town who you could go and the children have to go to school everyday."

Today cameraman Paul Munnings and I got on the back of a trailer bed hitched onto a tractor and toured the flooded areas. On board was Councillor Philip Willoughby, NEMO's Disaster Coordinator for Belize City.

Councillor Philip Willoughby, CEMO Coordinator
"The situation has deteriorated so drastically that we've received numerous calls from residents in Belama areas 3 and 4 respectively in terms of assistance to evacuate as presently what we're doing."

Jacqueline Godwin,
What's the concern as you drive from one flooded street on to the next?

Councillor Philip Willoughby,
"Always that maybe the residents are still procrastinating about when will be the right time and that is a area of great concern because we are in a tractor now and we don't know if we come later on visibility will be like to navigate the tractor through the water."

Since this morning the water has been rising slowly and it is not certain how much longer high vehicles will be able to continue to drive through the flooded waters.

Councillor Philip Willoughby,
"As the Chief Met Officer Mr. Ramon Frutos has indicated to us that whereas tide is one issue, the water is still coming down from the Belize River Valley area and likewise it is still raising in some quarters up there so we anticipate that the city is the last stop for this water to come and we are reacting to it proactively and hopefully we get the support from the community here."

Like Marian Middleton whose three bedroom house is inches away from being filled with water. McNab who personally moved out of the house one week ago today returned to remove her appliances and other household items.

Marian Middleton, Belama Resident
"It is more than sad, I just moved back here two months now and I didn't do back here was like this. It is almost in the house so what I want to do today is take out as much as I can and save what I can save and try and look for somewhere else like this weekend."

Jacqueline Godwin,
So you're looking to move out of the area completely?

Marian Middleton,
"Completely, I don't want to be back here at all. I mean not after this."

To make matters more the water level is expected to increase and it will take a long time to recede.

Councillor Philip Willoughby,
"So we have to move very swiftly with the cooperation of the residents. Please do not procrastinate. It will be to your own detriment, to appliances, and to your household."

Jacqueline Godwin,
Do you know if any families have been evacuated from the mile 8 community?

Councillor Philip Willoughby,
"Some of them have vacated their homes but the father figure from the homes have remained to probably do the security and watch personal property and vehicles and so forth. But if it comes to the point that the water is venturing into or onto the house then what information I receive from those persons is that they will have to evacuate more sooner than later themselves. But again we don't want to overlook anyone. We will still go there to render the assistance."

Leroy Salgado, Belama Phase 3 Resident
"What we're doing is we're looking for a house in town on higher ground so that we can move out because this is getting really worse and it is not really good because to the back there we have some crocodiles, snakes, and sort of stuff back there and it is not good. Probably by Friday or Saturday the water should be getting higher and it will be worse."

Jacqueline Godwin,
So when you and your family plan to move?

Leroy Salgado,
"As soon as we get a house in town then we are going to move out."

Jacqueline Godwin,
Did you expect the water to get so high?

Leroy Salgado,
"No not really. We expected the water to be at least the ground level but its unfortunate that it is just getting higher."

Brian Harris, Belama Phase 3 Resident
"Right now we are really in a drastic state right now so we would really want to know what they can do for us so we can move from back here but right about now my peoples are at work so we really can't do anything about it right now."

Jacqueline Godwin,
How concerned is the family though, this water is obviously not clean?

Brian Harris,
"Well it gives us itch and thing in our foot same way so, we have a ointment we are using but we will really have to do something about it because it is really getting out of hand."

Jacqueline Godwin,
How about the animals like crocodiles?

Brian Harris,
"Well we have a river right at the back there so we have a lot of that at the back there, that is the number one thing."

Jacqueline Godwin,
So you think by tomorrow the family will move out?

Brian Harris,
"By tomorrow we are supposed to move out. We are just waiting to see what will happen."

Jacqueline Godwin,
Sounds like you still haven't made up your mind.

Brian Harris,
"We've made up our minds but we are just waiting to see what will happen."

Jacqueline Godwin,
So right now you are waiting to see how higher this water is going?

Brian Harris,
"Yes mam and then we will say if we will move out because right now we are handling it a little bit."

In the meantime transportation is being provided to families and their children to help them get to work and school. Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7NEWS.