Flash Floods Hit Toledo Villages, Farmers Assess Crop Damage

Adverse weather conditions over the weekend in the Toledo District caused flash floods in several villages. Aguacate and Blue Creek saw some flooding, but Crique Sarco was hit the hardest. According to the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), villages were stranded due to a flooding situation from Friday until Sunday when the water finally receded. NEMO Assistant District Coordinator, Ulysess Guy, told Love News that there wasn’t any major damage to homes; however, farmers are still trying to ascertain the damage to their crops. 

Ulysess Guy, Assistant Toledo District Coordinator, NEMO: “In Crique Sarco the two approaches came under water because the bridge is built and causing the area, the low lying area to flood and you know that caused a displacement for people to travel to and from Crique Sarco. It receded yesterday evening around four. Thereafter vehicles could have traversed to and from Crique Sarco. The present situation however at the moment is that farmers cannot access their plantations up to this afternoon when I visited Crique Sarco because there is a creek that crosse the route where these farmers go to their plantations and I understand they have crops such as corn, plantain, cacao, in these areas so they don’t know the current situation of their corn crops that they recently planted as a result of this flooding. So hoping to get some information tomorrow or as soon as they gain access to their plantations. The water did reach near some homes but it didn’t cause any structural damages except for those households that have their outdoor kitchens and fire hearths where they cook and you know that was basically it.”

The National Hydrological Service says that the heavy rains that contributed to the flooding were the result of a passing tropical wave. Hydrologist Carmelita Blanco said that there are several other factors that contributed to the flooding. 

Carmelita Blanco, National Hydrological Service: “What we have recorded here is an increase in the river levels for the river south of the country specifically for the Moho River and the Temash River. We have registration with the use of our CAFG Models where flash floods were highlighted over the weekend which resulted in this flood events that took place over the weekend. I also want to add that apart from that we also need to take into consideration that these rivers originate from Guatemala and there are other tributaries that are connected to these rivers that also come from Guatemala so what I want to also emphasize is that what occurs in Guatemala for example the volumes of water or rains that affect these rivers tend to come down and arrive in Belize. And it would be like as an effect of what occurs in the other side in Guatemala has an impact on the river levels in the south of the country specifically.”

The Public Health Department has since visited the area, delivering water purification tablets to residents to address health concerns./