Crooked Tree Causeway experiences increasing flood levels

An area of concern for the National Hydrological Service is the Crooked Tree Lagoon. In today’s bulletin, the organisation says that flood levels are more than half a meter – or about two feet – above the causeway and those levels are expected to increase slowly. Principal Hydrologist, Tennielle Hendy explains the precariously unique situation this part of the Belize District is in. 

Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist: “The flood levels are above the Causeway and we expect this to continue slowly with rising levels. Crooked Tree Lagoon it has a reverse function so when we have two rivers flooding which the Crooked Tree is usually the reservoir for floodwaters from them we have a very unique situation because when one river floods the Crooked Tree Lagoon acts as a reservoir and then it releases in another one. So now we have both of them at flood levels. So what we can expect to happen in Crooked Tree is for the water to continue increase but we are not expecting a rapid increase in the water levels. Recall that Crooked Tree Lagoon was flooded before we even had Hurricane Julia passing through with the associated floodwaters so if you use that as context we haven’t seen a rapid rise like what we would equate with a flash flood. We are seeing gradual increasing of the water levels in that system in particularly.” 

While this is something for which the unit is sounding the alarm, the Principal Hydrologist says she does not anticipate the flooding will be as significant as it was in 2020. 

Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist: “Referring to the Eta and Iota situation I don’t believe we will see that level of flooding to occur. What we are seeing is that a lot of communities along the Belize River, Burrell Boom over the course of the last two days I’ve seen an increase in the flood levels coming down and being resident in the Burrell Boom Village and we have received reports that in the Bacab area that they have seen as much as three inches of water in their region. So what is happening is that it’s moving downstream and then it fans out. When it can’t fan out anymore in the lower elevations’ then it travels downstream so you know it’s just  cements before that it’s a bit difficult for us to say in these regions you will get X amount of feet of water in your area.”