#7194 Postby BZSTORM » Mon Oct 25, 2010 5:44 pm
Good afternoon everyone, we had pretty much countrywide blackout around 5pm last night as the eye made landfall. Our electricity was recently restored in the South and they hope to have majority of rest of country restored by tomorrow night. I understand in Belize City the South Side was hit hardest, trees down, roofs off some homes, some homes collapsed in winds but also from trees or lamp posts crashing on houses. Belmopan the capital was badly hit and personally I know of 2 friends who lost roofs there. The eye according to local radio passed Belmopan around 8pm last night. Spanish Lookout which is near San Ignacio reported they recorded winds at 92mph as the eye passed them. Lots of trees, building damage and electrical lines came down along the path of the hurricane. I heard near Belzie City a few of the high power tension electrical lines came down, there was a report of a whole roof near Belmopan which flew off and landed up on electrical lines. Friend in Belize city said boats in a marina were washed on shore and one boat washed up right across the main road. His house had minimal damage and found out the glass doors he's bought as hurricane proof - were not hurricane proof. Dangriga sustained collapsed houses, trees down and roof damage, power lines down.
On the placencia peninsula we had hardly any winds but constant rain till 4pm when winds picked up a bit and rain was heavier - winds swung from NE - SE during the night no more than approx 20 kts. Rain started dropping off around 8pm on th peninsula. If Richard had ahd more time to get bigger the damage would ahve been allot worse, but much like Hurr Iris 9 years ago, it was a compact hurricane doing the most damage in 20 mile radius from the eye.
Belize Gov & NEMO just had press conference and gave preliminary report from assessment made starting 8am today by fly over. First NO deaths related directly to Hurricane Richard. aprox 4600 ppl were in shelters. 400 homes have sustained serious damage i.e. collapsed , walls missing, whole roofs gone, currently approx 200 ppl are homeless . Major losses for citrus industry 30% overall loss - estimated $19.5million BZD orange, $9.6 million BZD grapefruit mostly from the Stann Creek Valley area. Initial estimate cost for recovery work, i,e making repairs clearing debris - $3.6 million BZD. $33.8 million BZD damages, this doesn't take into account reapirs to roads,bridges, or tourism industry. These are preliminary figures as many smaller villages still haven't been assessed.
0 likes