Tropical Storm Alex

While the world knew little of the tropical storm Alex other than it might impact the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Belizeans readied and embraced for the on-coming storm. It started last Friday - at work, we prepared to journey south to Punta Gorda for the District Association of Village Councils' general meeting with the newly elected council leaders. Punta Gorda, a town in Toledo district, is situated on the southern coast and about a two to three-hour ride by vehicle. I was with my counterparts and the new volunteer, we left Belmopan about four under dark clouds. The weather cast tracked Alex about 200 miles off the southern coast heading slowly towards Belize. As we drove south, the rain started which slowed our drive. By the time we arrived in Punta Gorda, around 7:30, it was pouring. We had a quick dinner then headed back to the hotel because the meeting was scheduled for 7 am on Saturday.

Next morning, Belize was on red alert - Alex was approaching Belize and would hit Belize City that day. Radio broadcasted the urgency to head for the hurricane shelter if villagers are affected by the storm. As we approached the village, Elderidge, the village council leaders were already waiting for us. Why start the meeting so early? The villagers had to catch the first bus to Punta Gorda and had to catch the last bus back to the villages by 11:30. They couldn't miss the last bus. Elderidge village community center where we had the meeting was an open building - the humidity and the heat were so intense that beads of sweat dripped the whole time. We had a great turnout, about 70% of the villages in the district and finished on time for the villagers to catch the buses.

As we drove out of the area, my cell phone had text and phones messages - a sign of urgency from Peace Corps. Having cell phone reception in this country is inconsistent and sporadic - in Elderidge we had no reception the entire morning. As I returned the messages from Peace Corps safety officer, country director, warden, and other staff, I discovered that we were missing in action, and the office was in near panic. We drove back to Belmopan while Alex approached Belize City. The road was hit with buckets of rain which slowed our progress. Finally, we got back to Belmopan. When I approached the house, the gutter poured water in front of my door. I struggled to open the door trying not get doused but failed, totally drenched as if I jumped into the river. Peace Corps gave the alert to stay at home until further notice. That was fine with me - it was a long day. The rain continued to pound on the roof throughout the night. The storm passed the next day, heading towards the Yucatan Peninsula. A couple days later, Alex turned into a hurricane approaching the States.

Belizeans said this storm was a surprise because it happened early in the hurricane season. The last few days after the storm, the humidity and heat intensity increased but the wind was calm.