When Hurricanes Hit Placencia: A Belizean Village's Story

Placencia, Belize, has been hit by several hurricanes since records began in 1851. In 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 95 mph (153 km/h) hit Belize, causing an unknown number of deaths. In 1906, a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) made landfall in the country. The deadliest hurricane in Belize's history occurred in 1931, when a Category 4 hurricane struck Belize City, killing an estimated 2,500-3,000 people. More recently, in 2001, Hurricane Iris, a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph (233 km/h), made landfall in southern Belize, causing 21 fatalities and widespread destruction. In total, it is estimated that hurricanes in Belize have caused over 3,500 deaths since 1889.

Hurricane Iris in 2001

Placencia in Belize has been hit by several hurricanes in the past, with Hurricane Iris in 2001 being one of the most destructive.

Hurricane Iris was a small but powerful Category 4 hurricane that formed on October 4, 2001, and caused widespread destruction in Belize. It was the second-strongest storm of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season, behind Hurricane Michelle. Iris brought heavy rainfall and strong winds, resulting in landslides, flooding, and extensive damage to infrastructure and the agricultural sector.

In Placencia, Hurricane Iris destroyed or damaged 75% to 85% of structures, including homes, schools, and tourist accommodations. The storm's surge, reaching up to 15 feet in some areas, caused street flooding and damaged offshore cayes. The storm also devastated archaeological sites and the environment in the region, including damage to Mayan ruins.

The agricultural sector in Placencia suffered significant losses, with 85% of banana plantations and 25% of shrimp farms damaged or destroyed. Other crops, such as rice, cacao, corn, and papaya, were also severely impacted. The storm's strong winds and flooding contaminated water supplies and left many residents without access to fresh water.

In total, Hurricane Iris left approximately 15,000 people homeless in Belize and caused 24 fatalities in the country. The storm also had a significant impact on neighbouring countries such as Guatemala and southern Mexico.

Hurricane Hattie in 1961

Hurricane Hattie, which hit Belize on October 31, 1961, was the strongest and deadliest tropical cyclone of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the ninth tropical storm, seventh hurricane, fifth major hurricane, and second Category 5 of the season.

Hattie originated from an area of low pressure that strengthened into a tropical storm over the southwestern Caribbean Sea on October 27. Moving generally northward, the storm quickly became a hurricane and later a major hurricane the following day. Hattie then turned westward west of Jamaica and strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h). It weakened to Category 4 before making landfall south of Belize City on October 31. The storm turned southwestward and weakened rapidly over the mountainous terrain of Central America, dissipating on November 1.

Hattie was initially forecast to continue north and strike Cuba, prompting evacuations on the island. However, it turned west, dropping heavy rainfall on Grand Cayman. The country of Belize, then known as British Honduras, sustained the worst damage from the hurricane. Belize City, the former capital, was buffeted by strong winds and flooded by a powerful storm surge. The territory governor estimated that 70% of the buildings in the city had been damaged, leaving more than 10,000 people homeless. The destruction was so severe that it prompted the government to relocate inland to a new city, Belmopan. Overall, Hattie caused about $60 million in losses and 307 deaths in the territory.

The hurricane destroyed 80% of the Belize Barrier Reef and caused significant crop damage across the region, including $2 million in citrus fruits and similar losses in timber, cocoa, and bananas. The hurricane also damaged several factories and oil rigs in the region. Due to the devastation and loss of life attributed to the hurricane, the name "Hattie" was retired and will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane.

Hurricane Janet in 1955

Hurricane Janet, which hit Placencia, Belize, in 1955, was the most powerful tropical cyclone of the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season and one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. It was the first named storm to cause 1,000 deaths and the first Category 5 storm name to be retired.

Janet formed from a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles on September 21, 1955, and intensified as it moved westward across the Caribbean Sea. By September 27, it had reached Category 5 intensity, with winds of up to 175 mph (282 km/h). The hurricane made landfall near Chetumal, Mexico, on September 28, causing severe devastation in areas of Quintana Roo and British Honduras. Only five buildings in Chetumal remained intact after the storm, and an estimated 500 people died in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.

In British Honduras (now Belize), Janet caused extensive damage to crops and forests, particularly in the Corozal, Orange Walk, and Belize administrative districts. Strong winds knocked down and damaged numerous trees, especially mahogany and sapodilla trees. Fruit trees, maize, and sugar cane crops suffered the most damage. In Corozal Town, about 500 people were left homeless, and six people were killed. Around 90% of the buildings in the town were destroyed, and communications were knocked out.

Janet then moved into the Bay of Campeche, where it slightly strengthened before making its final landfall near Veracruz, Mexico, on September 29 as a Category 2 hurricane. The hurricane caused significant river flooding in the Tampico area, worsening the effects of Hurricanes Gladys and Hilda, which had hit earlier that month. The floods left thousands stranded and killed at least 326 people in Tampico.

Overall, Hurricane Janet caused at least 1,023 deaths and $65.8 million in damages. It was a devastating storm that left a trail of destruction in its wake, and its impact was felt across the Caribbean and Mexico.

Hurricane Dean in 2007

Hurricane Dean was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the most intense North Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Wilma in 2005, and the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall.

Dean formed on August 13, 2007, in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and took a west-northwest path through the Saint Lucia Channel and into the Caribbean. It strengthened into a major hurricane, reaching Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale before passing just south of Jamaica on August 20.

The hurricane's intense winds, waves, rains, and storm surge were responsible for at least 45 deaths across ten countries and caused estimated damages of US$1.66 billion. It first impacted the islands of the Lesser Antilles, with its path through the Caribbean devastating agricultural crops, particularly in Martinique and Jamaica.

Hurricane Dean entered the Caribbean as a Category 2 hurricane through the Saint Lucia Channel on August 17. It moved briskly between the islands of St. Lucia and Martinique, with its storm surge and rain bands reaching every island in the chain. Damage was most severe in Martinique, where total damage was estimated at €350 million, and nearby Guadeloupe suffered €150 million of damage. In St. Lucia, damage was mostly caused by high seas and was estimated at US$18 million.

On August 18, Dean was thought to have been a Category 4 hurricane, but post-storm analysis showed that it had become a 165 mph (265 km/h) Category 5 hurricane. It weakened very slightly on the morning of August 19 as it finished an eyewall replacement cycle and began to interact with the island of Jamaica.

The hurricane passed south of Jamaica on the evening of August 19 and began to intensify again that night. On August 20, Dean restrengthened to a Category 5 hurricane, the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It made landfall as a Category 5 storm in Quintana Roo's Costa Maya region, 40 miles (65 km) northeast of the border between Mexico and Belize.

The town of Corozal, on Belize's northern border, experienced the worst conditions in the country. Trees were downed throughout the town, and minor flooding was reported. Eight thousand people were displaced to shelters, though all returned home in less than two days. Throughout Belize, the Ministry of Health reported no storm-related fatalities and only a few minor injuries.

Belize's agricultural sector received significant damage. Its sugarcane fields and papaya crops suffered extensive damage. The Belizean Government's National Emergency Management Organization estimated Dean's damage to the papaya industry at BZ$30 million and to the sugar industry at 6,000 acres (24 km2) worth BZ$3.6 million. More than 1,000 people were left out of work as a result of the damage to the papaya and sugarcane plantations. The prime minister of Belize at the time, Said Musa, said that it would cost US$10 million to repair or replace all the damaged homes.

Hurricane Mitch in 1998

Hurricane Mitch, which formed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22, 1998, was the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Mitch caused 11,374 fatalities in Central America, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua, due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow-moving storm.

Mitch formed as a tropical depression and, by October 26, had intensified into a Category 5 hurricane—the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It reached its peak wind speed of 180 mph off the northern coast of Honduras on October 26 and 27, dumping heavy rain on much of Central America, particularly Honduras and Nicaragua. As the storm weakened and stalled near the northern coast of Honduras, the rains increased, causing flash floods and mudslides that devastated coastal regions and the Honduran island of Guanaja.

Mitch made landfall in northern Honduras on October 29 and then moved slowly inland, continuing to produce tremendous amounts of rain. The rains reached a rate of about 4 inches per hour, with total rainfall exceeding 30 inches along the coast and 50 inches in the interior areas. After wreaking havoc on Central America, Mitch moved east-northeast, regaining its strength in the Bay of Campeche and hitting Florida as a tropical storm on November 4 or 5.

The floods, mudslides, and wind damaged Honduras's entire infrastructure, ruined its agricultural crops, and demolished population centres throughout the country. Parts of Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador were also devastated, with hundreds of thousands of homes destroyed, residents swept away, and crops wiped out. The storm killed more than 11,000 people (mostly in Honduras and Nicaragua, but also in Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, and Costa Rica), and thousands more were missing afterward.

In Belize, the hurricane was less severe than initially predicted, though Mitch still caused heavy rainfall across the country. Numerous rivers exceeded their crests, though the rainfall was beneficial to trees in mountainous areas. The flooding caused extensive crop damage and destroyed many roads. Throughout the country, eleven people died because of the hurricane.

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