Did the recently installed Yarbrough pumping station lead to a decrease in flooding in Belize City over the weekend?

Did the recently installed Yarbrough pumping station lead to a decrease in flooding in Belize City over the weekend? The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and the Belize City Council believes it did. The ten-million-dollar facility was inaugurated last month and aims to pump excess water from the city’s canal to the sea. The station is designed to mitigate flooding in streets that are traditionally inundated during heavy rains. MIHD’s Engineering Coordinator, Evondale Moody, says that prior to its installation, the connecting drainage system were also cleaned. He spoke to Love News about how the system may have led to less water in the city streets.

Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner also believes that the system aided in mitigating flooding this weekend. However, he says that while the system is new, it is already at risk of being damaged by residents.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City: “I visited the pumping station area this morning and the canals were flowing pretty good. I just saw a refrigerator in the canal I said how did that refrigerator get there ? It couldn’t have got there by itself. We need the participation of our residents in the city. Al lof us have to contribute to ensuring that we comply with the laws and not contribute to blockage of our waterways, of our drainage and of our canals. Having four of the screws and only two functional right now that will be improved. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about and to begin to get negative about in terms of our people. It’s about MIDH quickly recognizing that two of the screws weren’t functioning as it was supposed to be and they have now asked the engineers from overseas to come in back to really look at it. But once that, I saw the water flowing through that pretty well this morning and that was without the screws churning so I believe it will serve its purpose.”

And people can also do their part to mitigate flooding, according to Daniel Mendez National Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Organization. He says that residents can do their part to ease the effects of heavy rains.

Daniel Mendez, National Coordinator, NEMO: “The preparation has been continuous. We have been involved in ensuring that district emergency centers are operational and ensuring that there is enough training that people who are assigned to work in the centers know their jobs and are prepared. And so this is a continuous effort throughout the year. We begin it actually from January we begin that process and it’s continuous, it’s continuous meetings and continuous preparation throughout the year. And so what you saw with this event was just a continuation of that and those plans that were already in place at the district level. And then of course us at the national office keeping an eye on everything and ensuring that we’re able to provide the guidance and support to districts as necessary.”