“The water is coming down river” – that’s the warning we’ve been hearing for the past few days. And true enough, the Belize River is the catchment for both the Mopan and Macals River – and you saw how serious the flooding on those waterways has been, so you an imagine what’s coming down! But in the valley, they’ve been living with the Belize River for so long that they don’t panic – or at least that’s not what it seemed to us when we visited today.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Normally the vegetation along the banks of the Belize River would be at least three feet above the water but as you can see it has been rising to the point where the water is now flooding people’s properties. And while the first wave of the flood has yet to pass the area some of the villagers we met along the Belize River are in no hurry to leave. In fact long time Flowers Bank resident eighty two year old Egbert Robinson believes says he has no intention to move because there is no need to be concerned.

Egbert Robinson, Resident – Flowers Bank
“No, none at all. Well because it doesn’t have anymore pressure again, it reached right there. It can’t come any closer to my house.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
But you realize the worst is yet to come, this is not even the flood that is expected.

Egbert Robinson,
“No this is the same flood. Don’t mind them with their nonsense up there.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
So you’re saying this is the worst it will get?

Egbert Robinson,
“Yeah it is circling to turn back now.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
So don’t believe what the Weather Bureau is saying?

Egbert Robinson,
“No, no fresh water is yet to come.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
If it does get worst and you and your family are trapped here, what is your plan?

Egbert Robinson,
“Well we will have to ring up for a copter to come and pick us up and drop us in the city.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
But then it might be too much of a risk for even the rescue service team to come out here and get you guys. By then it might be too late.

Egbert Robinson,
“No it won’t be too late. He will find a spot of land to pitch on; it is a helicopter you know. He doesn’t have to touch ground, he can haul me up.”

Clinton Rhaburn, Chairman – Flowers Bank
“Most of the these people born and grow here so they have the experience of the old time flooding and they believe they have no need to move although they are hearing that. They would want to see that water come first and then they will realize that yes we got to move.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
But then by then it might be too late.

Clinton Rhaburn,
“Well let’s hope not. We have the big community center right there and it is always open for anybody who wants to come out there and you have about three families where the water is under their house but they don’t want to move at this time. Probably if it gets worse then they will make up their mind. The road is taking water from about 400 yards away from which will create problems because we don’t have much big vehicles in the area so if the water continues to raise then we will have problems to get in and get out.”

Rosella Robinson, Resident- Flowers Bank
“Well if it gets worse, then I will move out.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
What you consider worse?

Rosella Robinson,
“Well will consider worse if the water flows through, through and through the yard at least then I will feel it is time for I left. But otherwise I am not scared of it.”

The water level though is expected to continue to increase. In fact the first flood wave is expected to pass through the area between midday and evening on Wednesday.

Jacqueline Godwin,
How concerned are you about the floodwater?

Hilda Hendy, Resident – Scotland Halfmoon
“Uhm I don’t really know. I have never seen it as high as this but I hope it does not cover us more further.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
You plan to move?

Hilda Hendy,
“Not really, I have too much things here.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
So you’re going to ride it out?

Hilda Hendy,
“Yes I just can’t leave my thins to drown or so, I got to stay here and then I have a high house as well.”

The National Coast Guard has been patrolling the Belize River for the past two days to help residents if needed.

Kent Flores, Coast Guard
“Most of the people, the ageable people, they are saying that they have seen worse and that is the reason why they don’t want to evacuate from the land but if it gets worse, I think we will have to do some evacuations for the people living on the low lying areas.”

But the Belize National Coast Guard has very good reasons for telling residents who have been advised to move, to do so as early as possible.

Kent Flores,
“Especially at night, I notice that we have a lot of logs coming down and we have to do the manoeuvring and doing that at night is a little bit worse.”

Farm owners like Dr. Alvaro Rosado say the last time flood waters seriously affected his property was about eight years ago.

Dr. Alvaro Rosado, Farm Owner
“When we have one of the biggest flood that I’ve seen, the water actually covered the land that we’re on at a height of about 18 inches. But since then I have not seen that. I am not concerned about the height of the water affecting the residents here. I don’t believe it is going to enter any of the houses, even if it comes across which I doubt. This morning we did some water levels and we have about six feet more to go before it threatens any of the houses. We have a resident family on the farm, they have all the precautions in place. What I am doing now is just getting the generator ready to go in case we need that, making sure they can move from one house to the next. There are three structures, each of them is higher than where I think the water will ever come but if it ever gets worse than that there is always a balcony or a rooftop that they can go on if necessary.”

Reuben Rhaburn, Flowers Bank
“Our village gets flooded but it doesn’t affect the homes really. It is mostly like crops and different things like that, animals and so on but I don’t think we have to move form the community.”

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries have also been touring the area advising the residents to take stock of their livestock and agricultural crops. Already there have been some losses.

Gary Ramirez, Extension Officer
“The Ministry is required to do a damage assessment right after the flooding and it might be a bit difficult if farmers don’t know what they had prior to the flooding. So we’re just doing the groundwork, moving around from community to community, farmers to farmers, and touching base with them and if there is a flooding we will be back to do the damage assessment.

From the work we have done in areas like Maypen, Lemonal, and even here in Flowers Bank, we do have some small rice fields, corn fields, and other commodities that have been lost already. Those would be submitted in the preliminary report but we do expect further damage after the flood so there are some flooding already yes and we’re expecting more.”

Clinton Rhaburn,
“There is hardly anything you can do about the agriculture stuff because they are under water and we are not under water. Like the rice you can’t reap it because the weather is so consecutive that if you take it off the tree what will you do with it because you will have no dryer so it is best you leave it on the tree and then wait until the weather cease. I spoke to a gentlemen up the road and he said the water is about four feet in his rice field. I told him you probably won’t want to get any of that rice because the water will stay up here at least for about two more weeks so those rice will start growing. So the farmers will lose some of their crops, that’s for sure.”

Reuben Rhaburn,
“We’re expecting a little bit more flooding and with the river being cut down and that sort of thing so you might expect some more.”

According to the National Meteorological Service they cannot estimate just how high the water will be only that it will be a serious flood. So residents living along the Belize River are being advised to stay alert – and maybe even this croc has a portent of things to come. Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7NEWS.

Late this evening, the acting Chief Meteorologist Ramon Frutos and the Chief Hydrologist Rudolph Williams were taken on an aerial tour of the flooded areas. That trip revealed that the Sibun River is in its flood stage and many areas including farm lands on the edge of the Sibun River are underwater. According to Frutos the Sibun is pushing lots of water and so residents living in communities such as Hattieville and Freetown Sibun should expect to see an increase in water levels. The Belize River is flooding and residents living in that area should also see an increase in their water levels. Buildings that are at the ground level are expected to be greatly impacted.

Water levels will also be increasing along the Northern Highway by Williamson Sewing Factory and the Haulover Bridge where in some parts it is already level with the road. We’ll have more on that later.

According to the Met Service they have been inundated with phone calls from people living in Belize City inquiring how high the water will be. According to Frutos, they cannot say only that some areas already prone to flooding with be impacted and if it occurs during high tide then the impact will be greater.