Since Thursday, Belize Electricity Limited has been working towards restoring power in Belize City and other parts of the country that were affected by Hurricane Lisa. Countless expressions of gratitude and commendation have been directed at BEL employees for their hard work.
by Khaila Gentle
BELIZE CITY, Mon, Nov. 7, 2022
Since late Thursday morning, shortly after the “all clear” was issued for the country following the landfall of Hurricane Lisa, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has been working diligently towards the complete restoration of electricity services in the Belize and Cayo Districts.
Shortly before the storm made landfall on Wednesday, much of the Belize District found itself without power. That outage would eventually extend to other parts of the country, mainly western Belize, as winds of up to 85 miles per hour toppled utility poles and broke power lines.
Belizeans living in the direct path of Hurricane Lisa would have to weather the storm’s passing with nothing but candles, flashlights, kerosene lamps, and, for a lucky few, gas-powered generators. But as soon as day broke, and the green flag signaling the “all clear” was raised, residents were notified that their local electricity provider would be working around the clock to restore power.
By Saturday morning, the majority of the Cayo District had its electricity restored. Parts of the Belize District, however, after having faced the brunt of the storm and suffered extensive damage, would have some hours to go. Among the lucky few in that district were the Philip Goldson International Airport and roughly 75% of Belize City residents.
Residents in parts of Belama and along the Philip Goldson Highway finally breathed a sigh of relief later on Saturday night, when power was finally restored after three seemingly unending days. Later, however, those areas experienced intermittent power outages along with some other parts of the city. According to BEL, this was due to troubleshooting being done by the company to ensure the reliability of the power system.
Later on Sunday, BEL reached phase 6 of its power restoration process, which meant that only a few pockets of customers were still without power. That included areas in rural Belize, such as Hattieville, Ladyville, and the Belize River Valley as well as any areas faced with specific localized issues such as damaged transformers, low voltage lines, and customer service lines. A report from the company revealed that approximately 95% of customers in the rural Belize district had power restored, along with 99% of the Cayo District and 98% of the Belize District.
As power continues to be restored, many Belizeans have found themselves feeling extra grateful for the ability to turn on the lights and keep their foods fresh once again. BEL has continued to release updates, assuring residents that they will be implementing the most efficient and well-coordinated approaches necessary to provide customers with electricity.
Throughout this past weekend, citizens have commended Belize Electricity Limited and its employees for their hard work and efficient communication. Despite their frustration at being without power, many extended grace and understanding to the men and women who worked around the clock, moving from community to community in an effort to return the country to a state of normalcy.