Hurricane Iris roared ashore the southern coast of Belize Monday evening leaving
several thousand homeless and wreaking havoc in coastal communities. This
Category 4 hurricane, stated to be the most intense Atlantic storm of the
season, contained wind speeds of up to 140 miles per hour and waves 18 feet
above normal. Said to be comparable in strength to Hurricane Mitch, which
hovered over Belize two years ago, Iris fortunately traveled at a much faster
ground speed across land. Early reports indicate that damage was most severe in
the resort village of Placencia where the main "street" (one long sidewalk) was
said to be "building on top of building." Punta Gorda Town and the surrounding
rural villages such as Seine Bight, Independence, Monkey River, Silver Creek and
Mango Creek also suffered major damage. Off-shore holiday resorts were also
affected, and the banana industry, a major source of income in the region was
said to have been 85% destroyed. The citrus and shrimp industry also received
severe damage. At least 15,000 people were reported to have evacuated their
homes in advance of the hurricane. Amazingly, human casualties were limited; as
of press time Wednesday, the National Emergency Management Organization reported
22 dead with eight reported still missing. Thirty-eight people were reported
injured. The majority of deaths were isolated to an
incident involving a capsized live-a-board dive boat. A release issued by the
Belize Tourism Board stated that according to Tom Conlin, Executive Vice
President of Peter Hughes Travel Agency, the company that owns and operates Wave
Dancer Cruises, the boat was secured in Big Creek, a southern deep water port,
where many ships go to ride out these storms. "Early reports are very sketchy,
but apparently a wave surge snapped the lines and the boat capsized, sending all
people aboard, including crew and a group from a dive club in Richmond,
Virginia, USA into the water," stated Mr. Conlin. Information received Wednesday
revealed that only three of the twenty divers and five of eight crew members
aboard the Wave Dancer survived the ordeal.
Anyone requiring further information may contact the American Consulate in the
US at (202)-647-5226 or access website www.richmonddiveclub.com In an
address to the nation Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Said Musa officially
declared Belize "All Clear." Recovery and rebuilding efforts are currently
underway. The Government of Belize has emergency teams in the south assisting
with these recovery efforts and assessing possible damage throughout the region.
Relief supplies and aid continue to pour in from all areas of Belize, from
neighboring Latin American countries as well as from the international
community. The Belize Defense Force, British Forces, Mexico and the US Armed
Services are lending aid where it is needed. The Pan American Health
Organization, the Salvation Army and UNICEF are providing medical assistance.
The Belize Red Cross is working tirelessly - "Water and shelter materials will
be distributed to those left homeless but it will take some time to complete the
damage assessment," said John Humphreys, Head of Regional Delegation for the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Donations for
the relief effort in Belize can be made to the American Red Cross International
Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013.
Working together, Tourism Minister Mark Espat and the Minister of National
Security Jorge Espat conducted a preliminary assessment of the affected areas,
in an aerial and ground inspection. The Belize Tourism Board is lending its full
support to the people affected in the southern region of the country and has
dispatched teams, including Tourism Police Units to the areas most affected
which include Placencia, Monkey River and surrounding villages. The teams will
also be conducting a preliminary assessment of the damages to the industry and
identifying immediate needs requiring instant attention. It is "business as usual" for other areas of the
country, including the areas of Belize City, San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye,
Caye Caulker and San Ignacio Town. The Philip S. W. Goldson International
Airport is open for business, international airlines are resuming their flights
as scheduled and domestic airlines are operating. Bus and water taxi services
have resumed their schedules as well. The Belize Tourism
Board continues to work with the private sector, its counterparts in the United
States who sell vacation packages to Belize, the travel agents, the airlines and
the media to assist in the recovery efforts and to answer questions that may
affect their clients' immediate travel plans and to accurately advise them of
the current status in the affected areas. The Belize Tourism Board's toll free
number, 1-800-624-0686 is operational and standing by to render information to
travelers to Belize. Further updates on the affected
areas will be provided as information becomes available.
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