Hank49
Contributor
eeehhhhhh.....not sure about that. I live here too and I see all the same mess you're describing. Belizeans in general are terrified of hurricanes because frankly, most have never experienced one and it's like a ghost or demon to many.
However, taking a hurricane/tropical storm lightly is very dangerous.
Iris was headed for Dangriga.....and just kept bending south in 2001. It made landfall just south of Placencia and went into Big Creek, overturning the big liveaboard dive boat and killing some tourists, who stayed on the boat for a "hurricane Party".
In 2010 Richard was just a tropical storm coming in. I made the mistake of not really preparing which was really stupid of me, given that I've been near the eye of at least 8 hurricanes / typhoons. It kicked up to a Cat 2 just as it made landfall about a mile north of my house here near Mullins River. We had quite a bit of damage that could have been avoided and were lucky no one was hurt.
Some are tough or hard headed and are determined to ride out the storm, even in San Pedro or Caye Caulker. But for those who have small children or elderly to care for, it's not worth the risk. My son was just 18 months old when Richard arrived. I knew it wasn't a tropical storm anymore and wished I had headed inland up to Blue Creek, Orange Walk but by then, it was too late to make a move.
