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The hurricane season starts in 9 days - but according to a simulation exercise there is a storm on its way to Belize tonight. Don’t panic now. We stress, it’s only a test. It’s called Hurricane Bunzie – and according to the simulation – the storm is expected to make landfall along the coast of Belize City between 10 and 11 tonight. A storm crashing into the country’s largest population center – and its lowest? That’s probably the absolute worst case scenario but it could happen. And that’s why it’s part of the National Emergency Management Organization’s hurricane preparedness exercise. It started at 8 this morning and will run through the night and end tomorrow. Keith Swift has more.

Keith Swift Reporting,
With a category five Hurricane Bunzie on a beeline to the coast of Belize City – today the City Emergency Management Organization was activated. City councillors, traffic managers, police officers, and BDF soldiers have been huddled since 6 am in this command center. Phillip Willoughby is the comptroller.

Phillip Willoughby, CEMO Coordinator
“Bunzie is currently 230 miles east south east of Belize City, 271 miles east south east of San Pedro and moving on a westerly track.”

Keith Swift,
So it is heading for Belize City?

Phillip Willoughby,
“Basically, yes.”

Of course this is all a test – a test of the city’s emergency plan.

Wayne Usher, Co-Chair CEMO
“We’re playing it as if its happening and we are exercising our plans, tightening up those areas that we see deficiencies and this entire simulation is precisely to test the plans that we have, to see the state of readiness.”

Keith Swift,
And how well prepared is the City Council?

Wayne Usher,
“Let me tell you that so far we feel comfortable that if something like a storm is coming, we will, especially after today’s exercise, be more than ready for an upcoming storm. We could not foresee anything out of the ordinary happening in terms of our plans.”

But how really ready is the city? Phillip Willoughby has long complained that the city isn’t.

Phillip Willoughby,
“A budget has been submitted and that budget will take its due course and upon reaching its consensus and passing through the upper and lower House, then they will act on the necessary retrofitting that will be done on the shelters.”

Keith Swift,
I know you’ve complained in the past, you’ve said there are not enough suitable shelters. Is the city going to be ready Phillip?

Phillip Willoughby,
“I will say at this point yes it will, at the Belize City Council emergency level and at the national emergency level.”

Forecasters are expecting 12 to 16 named storms, 6 to 9 of which will develop into hurricanes – two to five of which will be major. There are about 11 approved shelters in Belize City. All 11 are in need of repairs.