Crooked Tree Flooding Worsens; Residents Seek Assistance for Access

The flooding saga in Crooked Tree is worsening, as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Sara continue to move toward the sea. Water from the Crooked Tree Lagoon, which acts as a catchment for the Belize River, has risen above the causeway, making it impassable. Crooked Tree Chairman George Tillett called in on our morning show today, to report that the situation is so bad, that people have been moving their vehicles out of the village. Tillett says that residents will now need the help of Coast Guard personnel and NEMO, to get them in and out of the village to get to school and work. 

George Tillett, Chairman, Crooked Tree Village: “I think right now we’re in the heart of it. What is going on is the causeway has been closed. The law buses went out this morning. All small vehicles were advised yesterday, those that don’t want to be trapped here on the island they have all driven over on the other side to the mainland and the causeway is a bit dead right now. The last high vehicle that left from the village today was the 6:30 bus and I was on the bus and I sent some footage. It’s not pretty. Water is all the way up to the second stairs of the bus and it is unsafe for commuters. Right here I’m standing on the second bridge and there are some holes, some deep caved in holes at the foot of the bridge. Thank God the bus made it across but it’s not safe. We have been appealing to NEMO to relieve us with either, well right now the trucks probably won’t work because the causeway isn’t safe but we would appreciate if we could get the boat, the Coast Guard boat on the run because I understand from the bus owners that no buses will be coming back over this side of the highway this afternoon and this evening and we have something like eight high school and sixth form students on two of the school buses. We have about sixty eight workers on the other three buses along with daily commuters who go and do their business in Belize City.”

Roads have been inundated, yards have flooded, and people have been forced to leave their homes. Gillett says he is concerned about those who must stay in the shelter since the flood is expected to last over a month. 

George Tillett, Chairman, Crooked Tree Village: “There are some homes that are being flooded and as I speak we are moving people to shelters. Now it’s kinda complicated because yes we have a disaster center but there are some restrictions and the restrictions are you shouldn’t take no home appliances with you. And this is not an overnight stay. This will go on for at least a month and a half due to the fact that Crooked Tree Lagoon is a catchment for all the waters coming down the Belize River before it rationed out to Belize City. If there wasn’t a Crooked Tree Lagoon there would be no Belize City because it would have been flooded away a long time ago. So what happened is yes we are putting them up in homes of people that opened their doors for them, some people have a little downstairs you can stay here, the churches have played a role. There are some in the Nazarene Mission House, there are some in the Wesley Mission House and there will be some in the Baptist Mission House so these places play a very very important role for the residents here in Crooked Tree because you see with that now they can take their stoves, they can take their refrigerators , they can take their washing machines because it’s gonna be a month and a half the less.”

Yesterday, we were informed that hotels along the river had to close due to the flooding. One establishment reported canceling as many as twenty-five reservations, due to the flood. We’ll be following up with authorities about the relief efforts in Crooked Tree.