7 News Belize

Black Waters In Gales Point
posted (November 2, 2010)
Hurricane Richard raged through Belize 9 days ago - and laid waste to communities all through the Belize District. We've shown you extensively what it did to the Yabra area, and we've also shown you Gracie Rock and Freetown Sibun. But what about Gales Point Manatee? That community was also hard hit and Monica Bodden visited them today:…

The initial path of hurricane Richard - was predicted to make landfall somewhere near the village of Gale's Point Manatee. Luckily for these villagers - it shifted a little north. Nonetheless - this small village was badly battered by the storm- And today - there are still families left in shelters - with nowhere to go.

Mildred Williams, Hurricane Victim
"They say they are coming with board from about a couple of days ago but no one come yet so....."

Monica Bodden
"You are just waiting for that to happen?"

Mildred Williams, Hurricane Victim
(nods head)

Mildred Williams, is one of the many who lost her home during the storm. She said she has gotten assistance from NEMO and is now waiting for building supplies.

It was the first time she experienced a hurricane and it is one she says she will not soon forget.

Mildred Williams, Hurricane Victim
"From home when the breeze start around 3 in the afternoon then we come to the shelter here and there were several people that came here; my children and like 33 other families. But the next morning after the hurricane most of them went home although their houses were partially destroy. But my house is gone completely; the flooring, the siding the top, then my business place, my son house; hen the house fell the post that hold up the house destroy the flooring and the top."

Winds in the village started to pick up - late that evening.

Mildred Williams, Hurricane Victim
"Between 6:30 when the real weather start. When the weather start we had the side door open and we watch almost the entire storm because the breeze came from the back. When that was done there was calm, the chairlady came and told us not to go outside because the other part of the storm is coming. About 45 minutes before the other part of the storm came, when that came we heard like something drop on the verandah, we thought it was a drum that we had here. But the breeze came from all around the shelter, but we didn't get wet, a little water came in from the side door."

Ashanti Sabal - a mother of 4, is also staying at the shelter…

Ashanti Sabal, Hurricane Victim
"Well the roof and the wall got destroy."

Monica Bodden
"The 4 walls?"

Ashanti Sabal, Hurricane Victim
"No, one side of the house destroy and the zinc from the back of the house."

Sabal also talked about her first hurricane experience.

Ashanti Sabal, Hurricane Victim
"The first part of the breeze wasn't too rough, the second part was really rough."

Monica Bodden
"About what time that second part come?"

Ashanti Sabal, Hurricane Victim
"About 8 pm I think."

Monica Bodden
"About 8pm is when you start to experience heavy winds?"

Ashanti Sabal, Hurricane Victim
"Hard breeze yes, and then after that most of us have fallen asleep. Then like 1am we start to walk down the road to see what all had been destroyed."

Mildred Williams, Hurricane Victim
"After the second part done we went to the village about 3am. We see the houses and the roofs that were destroy, there were zincs in the streets. We came back to the shelter."

Ashanti Sabal, Hurricane Victim
"A lot of trees fell, a tree fell cross the road over here and we see fallen houses and I saw my grandfather was lean on one side, and there were a lot of debris in the road. "

Monica Bodden
"You say this was your first experience of a hurricane. What was it like for you?"

Ashanti Sabal, Hurricane Victim
"Well it was frightening."

And while these villagers are trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild - One of their major necessities is drinking water. This might look like a bag of juice this man is carrying - but it is far from that… in fact this is actually water from the faucets…

Zane Bradley- Public health Inspector
"In the case of this water; we brought out some aqua tablets, it is use to treat the water. Also we recommend that the people who are using the water to boil it and let it boil at least for 10 minutes before using it for drinking. We are concern about the children; we don't want them to have diarrhea or any vomiting so we are trying our best to treat the water. We understand that there are a lot of broken pipelines for the water system here in Gales point and this is why the water is coming out this way."

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