It may have faded from the headlines, but the Albion islands continue to be under floods, and every day residents have to go to and from their homes in canoes.
Indeed, flooding has been chronic in that area for many decades - and. So have the visits by politicians.
But this year's floods saw the Prime Minister hit an intemperate chord while the leader of the opposition tried to show he's still the man in his party.
So, in the floods, did they sink, or did they swim? Jules Vasquez has this commentary:
According to today's flood forecast, on the RIO HONDO at Blue Creek North, water levels remain above historical Hurricane Mitch levels, but are expected to decrease; however at Douglas, flood stage levels are expected to continue to increase above historical Hurricane Mitch levels, and at Santa Cruz, San Antonio, San Roman (which are the Albion islands), flood stage levels expected to continue to increase.
But while the flooding persists at historic levels - the political gamesmanship around the event has been neither memorable nor historic.
First, there was the callous assessment of the prime minister - calling the common folk of Douglas a burden to taxpayers:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"They expect the government to help them, it's not fair to Belizean tax payers to go out every year to go out and bail out. Although we have to help them, they are our citizens, so we have to start to think about long term."
And then, a few days later, Shyne Barrow waded into the issue - his first public party appearance since UDP rebels took the UDP headquarters and occupied his office. There he was trodding through ankle high water with three people, hitching a boat ride across turbid waters, eating escabeche at a villager's table while wearing a bewildered look. In a note attached to the picture, Barrow waxes:
"...(we) were welcomed into the home of one of the villagers to enjoy some escabeche. Generosity and hospitality even in times of distress is the mark of…Belizean resilience." So while the embattled Barrow sat at the common table and played the part of studious listener- the tone may have been suitable, but after a withering two weeks, it was not the show of board support his leadership needed.
And, the PM with his fancy Fedora and fleet of political allies may have shown muscle but common compassion is what he failed to deliver.
In the end, both mass party leaders ultimately delivered uninspiring and alienating performances, a flood of little more than mediocrity.
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