Email

Print

Today when we visited Rancho was like an island with only one way on and off, but there is no active 24 hour ferry or water taxi for these residents. We took a boat ride over to the village and found a population used to the river's rise and retreat. Jomarie Lanza reports.

What was once the road leading into the small community of Rancho Dolores here in the Belize River Valley is now a waterway. Spanish Creek has spilled way over the banks and is now enveloping the road and the bridge into Rancho. So, villagers can only get in and out by boat or canoe.

It's a familiar event for these residents that have been living here for generations, but it does create a concern for those living near the water's edge. There is no telling how high the river will rise, and how long it will take to go down - it often takes months. The village chairlady says that they just need to be prepared for whatever mood mother nature may be in.

Elsita Gillet, Chairlady, Rancho Dolores
"From this morning we have seen a significant raise of the river. The bridge, the approach to the bridge, had some water this morning around 4:00 and then from 4:00 to this present time this is the condition of it now so it's rapidly raising and I think it will continue to rise. We had some setbacks this morning with vehicles coming in but we are good with that part for right now we couldn't get our villagers out those workers and students we have called off classes and we have been working with the principal from Belize Primary school and we haven't transported any kids from that side to here because of the conditions of the water."

"We knew this was going to happen because it's already happened in 2020 and in 2022 it started, it came for one day and then it went in 2022 the same exact thing happened the bridge went under water and we had the cricket field half of the cricket field was under water the coast guard boat had to dock by the school in 2020 so we figured that this would happen."

Though there is no real solution to the problem, they have managed to work out a shuttling schedule with the Belize Coast Guardsmen assigned to the area to get residents in and out through boat.

PO1 Cassasola, Belize Coast Guard
"The call came to us about 16:00 yesterday so we had our crew we got ready and we deployed this morning from our base at 300 hours this morning."

Jo-
"And when you first arrived what did you observe."

PO1 Cassasola, Belize Coast Guard
"There was a lot of water and it wasn't the way we heard it because we were told that it was only small vehicles that cannot pass and when we came we noticed that we did need a vessel so we called in and got a vessel to come to this location."

"We have a schedule that we are running from right now that is 4:30 in the morning 5:30 and 6:30 and then we take a break in the afternoon and then we come back at 4 o'clock 5:15 and 6:40 in the evening."

Reporter-
"Who is it for? Is it just essential or for anyone that wants to cross?"

PO1 Cassasola, Belize Coast Guard
"We have mainly workers, students, and other people that need to go to Belize to do any type of shopping."

Moving in and out of the village becomes restricted temporarily and not even the most high powered vehicles could make it through up to 4-5ft of water.

Raymond Reyes, Resident
"Every maybe 5,6, 10 years I lived here over 50 odd years right and it came like this maybe 4 or 5 different times but for the past ten years before it came like this again."

Reporter- "So where we are is the road right?"

Raymond Reyes, Resident
"Yes this is the road. This morning right out here the BDF truck got stuck, Well it shutdown in the water."

For Martina Belisle and her fami
ly who live adjacent to the river, she says in the past the water rose all the way up to her window sill.

Martina Belisle, Resident
"Well everytime it comes this is the same headache I have every time but I can't do better so I have to work it out."

Reporter-
"What makes it a headache for you?"

Martina Belisle, Resident
"Because I have to move everything out from my house. Then I don't know where I will lay my head right now."

Reporter-
"I see you haven't started to do that yet."

Martina Belisle, Resident
"No, I already took out everything, everything, all my chairs, only my refrigerator and stove is left because I'm cooking. Only that is left in there."

Reporter-
"So where do you take it?"

Martina Belisle, Resident
"Right in that building over there I put it on four blocks of cement and then I cover it with a canvas."

Reporter-
"You are doing this from experience?"

Martina Belisle, Resident
"Yes everytime everytime this is not the first time for me."

And while movement does become restricted that won't stop residents from running essential errands, like your regular soft drink and beer re-up for the week.

Jude Joseph, Resident
"Well you know you have no access every minute to go across, you have to wait on the boat and they give you a schedule when to go cross and when to come back so it's kind of rough."

"We just have to hunker down and wait to see if you can catch a ride otherwise you can walk come in and it's a long while."

Jo-
"How long have you been living back here?"

Jude Joseph, Resident
"I've lived back here 37 years."

Jo-
"So how many days do you guys wait until it goes back to normal."

Jude Joseph, Resident
"Well in truthful in 2020 we had the same amount of water which in right now where we are had water during election 2020 and we waited at least three months until we can walk across this bridge."

"So Christmas we are looking at our Christmas right there. That's our Christmas coming, no access across unless it's in a boat."

"But everybody here just has to stay on the island and wait."

Jo
"Island?"

Jude Joseph, Resident
"Yes it's an island because we don't have any way to exit."

And just down the road, the Belize River at Bermudian landing is fat and full and just a few feet below the deck of the bridge. There is a flood warning in effect for this river - and these images show why.

Based on experience as recent as 2020, villagers tell us it may take months until the waters recede to their pre-flood levels.