Former Tropical Storm Matthew has lost its tropical cyclone characteristics as of Sunday, September 26, 2010, but its remnants are expected to continue to bring heavy rain to northern Central America, including Belize, and south and southeastern Mexico, over the next few days.
At 3:00 p.m. local time Saturday, September 25, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) had issued an “all clear” for the entire country of Belize, Matthew having moved out of our area into northern Guatemala and Mexico.
There had been worries on Friday that the storm would intensify to hurricane status and cause significant damage to Belize, but Matthew, with top wind speeds of 50 miles per hour, first made landfall in Nicaragua on Friday evening and quickly crossed over the mountains in Honduras, causing heavy rainfall and landslides.
This lessened the impact on Belize as Matthew made its second landfall around 8:00 a.m. local time on Saturday near Monkey River, Toledo, carrying wind speeds of 40 miles per hour with higher gusts.
Reports from the southern half of the country – the Cayo, Stann Creek and Toledo districts – indicated that a number of important passageways were under water, such as the low-lying Macal River Bridge at the entrance to San Ignacio; the Iguana Creek Bridge at the entrance to Spanish Lookout; and the bridge leading into Blue Creek, Toledo, on the Moho River, where at least one bus was stranded Saturday evening. The Kendal crossing at the Sittee River was briefly threatened before waters there began to subside.
NEMO issued a tropical storm warning for the coast of Belize from Belize City southward and a watch for the northern portion of the coast at 6:00 a.m. Saturday, and a number of shelters were opened in the South and in Belize City. All evacuation was voluntary.
In Belize City, conditions were mild and almost pleasant for much of Saturday, but a number of streets in the downtown area were flooded out from rains overnight and early Saturday morning, including Bishop Street west of the former Romac’s parking lot; parts of West Street and the intersection of George and Church streets; and near-overflowing of the banks of the Collet Canal and the Haulover Creek near the Swing Bridge.
Belizeans, used to the threat of tropical systems, began to stock up on basic food items. There were some complaints over the radio airwaves about an increase in gas prices at the pumps, but we understand the increase was regularly scheduled and not related to the Matthew threat.
Belize Electricity Limited reported a number of power outages on Friday and Saturday in the Belize District due to various faults and trips on the power lines, but in each case power was restored fairly quickly.
The Chalillo dam was reported to have spilled over on Saturday, but there were no other major concerns about its structure.
With the storm having passed, attention turned to flooding concerns over Belize’s swollen rivers. As of 11:00 a.m. Sunday, a majority of Belize’s rivers were above normal, but most were rising slowly, and the others either steady or falling slowly. There were no flood watches or warnings posted, but NEMO advised on Saturday that it remained on high alert for the possibility.
While Matthew largely spared Belize its wrath, it was not so merciful on our neighbors in Central America and Mexico. Matthew is reported to have killed seven people in Caracas, Venezuela, on its passage through the Caribbean earlier last week.
On Sunday, two deaths were reported, according to news agency Reuters: a man was swept away in a coastal town in El Salvador and a fisherman drowned on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.
In Honduras, according to Reuters, grain and banana crops were extensively damaged by flooded and swollen rivers, and in Guatemala, coffee and sugar farmers face reduced profits, complicated by the effects of previous systems.
Mexico, on the other hand, reported no serious threat to its oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico, despite recent flooding in the south-central portion of the country, particularly Veracruz.
The Weather Bureau reported today that as rains have largely slowed down, there is less risk of flooding. The bridges in San Ignacio and Iguana Creek, however, are still under water at press time.
Another tropical system just east of Belize is being monitored, but projected forecasts show it moving north toward Cuba and the United States.