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Title Page | |
Table of Contents | |
Introduction | |
Hurricane "Hattie" in Belize | |
The wreck of Mullins River | |
Hurricane Hattie - Spanish... | |
Melinda forest station | |
Fort Myers, Florida comes to B.H.... | |
Mexican plane missing | |
Aid and donations | |
Extracts from government news... | |
Stricken | |
News and briefs | |
Caye Caulker's recovery after... | |
District news | |
Hattieville | |
Looting curfew | |
Rationing of donations | |
Hurricane season of 1961 | |
Report of casualties | |
Hurricane precautions |
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Front Cover
Front Cover Title Page Title Page Table of Contents Page 1 Introduction Page 2 Hurricane "Hattie" in Belize Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 The wreck of Mullins River Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Hurricane Hattie - Spanish lookout Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Melinda forest station Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Fort Myers, Florida comes to B.H. aid Page 37 Page 38 Mexican plane missing Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Aid and donations Page 43 Page 44 Extracts from government news letter Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Stricken Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 News and briefs Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Caye Caulker's recovery after Hattie Page 69 Page 70 District news Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Hattieville Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Looting curfew Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Rationing of donations Page 85 Page 86 Hurricane season of 1961 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Report of casualties Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Hurricane precautions Page 105 Page 106 |
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Story of the hurricane that ripped through the British Honduras, on October 31, 1961 Compiled by John D. Friesen ./Ia4izoucc#e "cfattie " as compiled by JOHN D. FRIESEN, Box 180, Chihuahua, Chih. Mexico INDEX I n tr o d u c tio n ..................... ................ ....... ...... ... ......................... ................ 1 H urrican e H attie in B elize .......................................... ................................................. ...... 3 The Wreck of Mullins River ............................................ ......... 10 SHurricane Hattie-Spanish Lookout ................. ........... ............................ 13 M elinda F orest Station ............... .............. ... ........ .. ............ ......33 Fort Myers, Florida, Comes to British Honduras Aid ................................. 37 M exican P lane M missing ... ................................................... ............ ... 39 A id an d D on action s ..:.................................... ................ ............ ............ 43 Extracts from Government News Letters ........................... ........... 45 Results of Hurricane Hattie ..... ... ............. .............. ................ 47 S t ric k e n .......................................................................... ...................................................... ....... ... 5 3 N ew s a n d B riefs ....... .. ................ ........ ............................................................ 5 7 Caye Caulker's Recovery After Hattie ... .. .. ......................................... 69 D district N ew s ....................................... .. ........ ......... ...... 71 H attieville ........................................ 77 L ooting C urfew .................................................. ............... ............. 81 Rationing of Donations ...................................... ......... 85 H hurricane Season of 1961 .......................................................... ................87 R report of C casualties .. ........................... ........ .. ........ ............... 99 Hurricane Precautions ...................... .. ...... .................. 105 Introduction Hurricanes are only one of a series of elements which are hazardous to life and property anywhere in the area, from Panama to New York's Atlantic sea shores. But not all of these areas are evenly frequented by the hurricanes. Espe- cially in line of danger of hurricanes are the Mexican Gulf coast area, any part bounding the Carribean sea, or any Island in this area including the Atlantic shore from Florida to the State of New York. These are the most frequented areas. As these hurricanes mostly develop deep in the Atlantic ocean, they may travel thousands of miles before they might come into contact with life or property. Many times their first victim might be a ship that gets a feel of it before even it has heard of it. Also, possibly, an isolated island may get the first feel of a hurricane developing in deep seas. Many people who are lucky enough not to live in these mentioned areas may feel some satisfaction that in their local area no such element of danger could disturb the peaceful atmosphere. But let us list a few other elements that are prevailent in this world of ours and that sometimes come without advance notice or calling. Firstly, besides hurricanes, we have other storms that can do damage like cyclones, typhoons and tornadoes. Tidal waves, floods, avalanches, the eruption of volcanos, cloud- bursts, snow blizzards, sand storms, earthquakes, and even time can invoke great destruction. Although we are including in this volume some pictures of how and where hurricanes develop and also some descrip- tion as to how they originate, the greater part of our descrip- tion will be concentrated to the receiving end of a hurricane. The photographs were largely supplied by the dept. of information and communications in Belize, British Honduras. The hurricane maps and description of the source of each of the 10 hurricanes of the season of 1961, were supplied by Gordon E. Dunn and Staff, U. S. Weather Bureau Office, Miami Fla. Hurricane "Hattie" in Belize by Henry Burgess The hurricane which struck Belize on September 10, 131), with winds up to 130 m.p.h. was a child in comparison to Hurricane "Hattie" which hit Belize, British Honduras on Oct. 31, 1961, with winds of 150 miles per hour, gusts up to 200 m.p.h. and a tidal wave of fifteen feet. Giant Hurricane Hattie was most vicious and has been described by some cor- respondents as the worst disaster ever seen. To some, "Belize was an appalling sight", to others "Belize was a city of horror and suffering". "Hattie" started blowing into Belize at about 11 p.m. on Monday, October 30 and developed into intensity until day- light. Then water rose over the whole city. It was as high as ten feet in places. Wind and waves wrecked the town. Houses were completely wrecked and carried away or left on their sides or even upside down. 'Over the whole area of Belize there was a huge, tangled mass of wreckage and debris. It is estimated that about 80 per cent of the houses in Belize were destroyed or seriously damaged. Telephone and electric light poles were down with wires twisted and torn loose. The electric power failed at an early hour. Government House Damaged Government House, official residence of the governor, was greatly damaged. Records in the office were in large part ruined. Other government buildings were also damaged but most records were saved. The customs house landing shed and bonded warehouse an the water front received full force of hurricane and tidaplwave with considerable damage to the buildings. Large quantities of goods were destroyed. The Shrimp Plant suffered heavily, as did also the Don Williams Shirt Factory. The Presbyterian Church, a brick building, was battered to pieces by a large iron tank which was carried across the river by the wind and tide. All motor vehicles in the town of Belize were rendered unfit for service and many of them beyond repair. Boats had been taken up the river the day before but some still suffered considerable injury. Thousands of people were made homeless The govern- ment began at once to erect a temporary town, which present- ly is known as Hattieville, sixteen miles out of town. Many people left town to find accommodations in other towns of the country. Those left behind, entered upon the tremendous task of rebuilding homes. Hospitals and clinics suffered heavily, but medical ser- vices were kept going as well as possible till generous assis- tance camel from the United States, Jamaica, neighboring Republics of Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras and from the United Kingdom and Canada. Food, clothing, blankets, me- dicines, equipment, etc. and personnel came very soon from far and near. The generous help that has come to Belize and the country has been astounding. British Hondurans can never be suffi- ciently thankful to all who so generously came to their help in their great tragedy. Since the Government had selected shelters in which people took refuge as the storm approached, the number of deaths was comparatively low officially given as 262 for the whole hurricane area. Whereas, the number of victims of the hurricane of 1931 was about one thousand. At that time the Jesuit College of St. John at Loyola Park was totally destroyed. Ten Jesuits at the College and one at St. Ignatius Church in town were killed. St. Catherine Convent of the Sisters of Mercy was also completely destroyed in 1931 but all the Sisters and boarding students were unin- jured. The Catholic Church suffered heavy losses from Hurricane "Hattie" but all priests, Sisters, Brothers and Jesuit Scholas- tics came through unharmed. The cathedral and bishop's house were half unroofed. The floor of the cathedral was raised up about five feet by the water and settled back in a broken condition. Pews and other furniture were piled up in a tangled mess. The altars were drenched by the rain but otherwise undamaged and all the statues and Stations of the Cross were unharmed. 1The Cathedral Hall was demolished and the Holy Redem- er (Cathedral Parish) school buildings were greatly damaged and all furniture and equipment, even on the .second floor were damaged, while books, charts, etc. were totally destroyed by the water from the tidal wave and rain. St. Catherine Convent and school buildings had heavy losses in buildings, furniture and equipment. Pallotti Convent was unroofed and sustained heavy losses in furniture and equipment as did also nearby Palloti High School. ( In Stann Creek, a town of 5,000, where nearly all houses were demolished, the Catholic Mission lost two school build- ings and the parochial residence and Sisters' Convent suf- fered considerably. In the rural area, eight Mission schools were destroyed as well as several teachers' houses. Just after the hurricane of 1931, Mr. Gerald Smith, a former Postmaster General 'of British Honduras, wrote from abroad in the CLARION, one of the Belize newspapers, that the town of Belize should be moved inland, but the sugges- tion was not taken seriously. Now, however, that Hurricane "Hattie" has visited Belize with so much distress left in its wake, there is a strong determination on the part of the government to move the capital inland from 31 to 50 miles. Many Belizeans will not want to move away from the present site and it will be necessary to have a port city, which should be built to with- stand hurricanes and tidal waves. British Honduras has received generous financial assis- tance from abroad. Committees in England and various parts of the Commonwealth, in the United States and elsewhere have raised large sums of money for the hurricane-stricken little country. His Holiness, Pope John XXIII, soon after the disaster, sent $2,000.00 in U. S. exchange. When there is so much suffering throughout the world caused by wars and civil disturbance, the work of evil men, it is wonderful to see how much charity and generosity others display towards their fellow men in distress. Hurricane "Hattie" at Sittee River, April 27th, 1962 as experienced by Joseph W. Bleare P. C. No. 100 On Sunday, October 29, 1961, while I was at the residence of Mr. John Bailey, J. P. at Freetown, Sittee River, along with Calvert Reynolds, Amado Ameya and Dennis Gordon, we heard the news over B.H.B.S. of the very dangerous hurricane Hattie in the Caribbean travelling towards Cuba. I told the gentlemen that I personally didn't like the position of the hurricane because it could easily change its course and strike British Honduras. They told me that they believed we were safe from it. I disagreed with them and explained, that at that time Cuba was experiencing cool weather while B. H. was having very warm weather which is just the type for the path of a hurricane. The little debate ended with the others still not seeing it my way. On Monday, October 30 came the report from the Armed Forces Radio station that Hattie had changed her course and was travelling in a westerly direction. On hearing this news, I was now more than convinced that B.H. was out for another licking by a severe hurricane because Mexico too was having 5 cold weather coming from across the U. S. A. and we were still having warm temperatures. This same day, Hattie again changed its course, bringing Northern British Honduras into range with it. Realizing the size and the velocity of this eighth hurri- cane of the season, and with Sittee only about forty five miles from Belize, the capital, I went around advising the villagers to take all precaution against the hurricane which I knew would hit us. They told me that according to the news from B.H.B.S. it was going to hit from along Belize to Corozal. After explaining to them that "Hattie" was not to be trusted, they went about taking my advice. Having informed the people and returned to the police station, I secured all windows and doors on the station. Still paying keen interest on the movement of the hurricane, I had a strong feeling that Sittee would be in the centre of it. Around midnight there were about six families (some thirty people) taking shelter in the police station with me. We were having calm weather with heavy white clouds in the sky. It was so calm here that we could have heard the waves lashing on the shoal by the river bar which is about five miles from the police station. B.H.B.S. was reporting that Belize was getting strong winds and rain. The nice soft music in the stillness of the night from the radio played a good part on our morale. We didn't know what was in store for us. On Tuesday, October 31, a little after midnight, the local broadcasting station B.H.B.S. was cut off suddenly. This brought a look of suspicion to everybody's face in the police station. I remarked to them, "Belize is now getting it." I tuned in to W.G.B.S. Miami and received from that station, that a report was given by a ship which was anchored in the Harbour at Belize that she was getting a good licking by Nature's "Hattie", and that the ship's super structure was being washed by high seas. I heard a funny noise as if something was coming from very far and I looked at the clock on the wall. It was 3 a.m. This is the time we started to get some heavy puffs of wind and rain. The wind got more severe and the puffs more continuous. I then told the people who were in the station with me "This is it." Things on the outside started to sound horrible, trees began to fall and the zincs on the roof started to lift. This was about 4 a.m. The wind had then developed to nearly 100 M.P.H. When it was around 125 m.p.h. the latrine in the police station compound was blown away and the front door on the station forced open although I had it nailed. Newton Fod- ur, Handell Cadle, Arthur and Matthew Andrews and I, with great effort, managed to shut it and nailed it again. A window was ripped off by the branch of a mango tree. About six a.m., everybody looked pleased because the wind had abated but remembering the 1931 hurricane when I was only nine years old, I told them it wasn't over yet. This calmness didn't last long. It was back on us again soon from a different direction (South). This was about 175 m.p.h. The building began to crack, the kitchen window was blown down, the pipe knocked off the vat and the water began to pour out. The room door was blown open but we nailed it shut again. When we were nailing the door we heard a knocking on it and we were just in time to stop a lady from being blown away over the rail. The roof was blown off and everybody started to get wet from the ceiling which was cracking. Some people were trembling so I took what dry clothing I could lay my hands on and gave it to them. I covered about ten children with my rain coat. Around 7 a.m. when the South gable of the building looked as if it were going down, I saw fright stricken faces and suggested that we say the Lord's prayer. Everybody join- ed in. Having said the prayer, I instructed them to draw near to the rear door and get ready to abandon the building. I told them if they had to do this, to please do it without any rush. One side of the building was rocking, so the men and I pushed the iron safe near to it. This helped a great deal. We didn't have to abandon the building because around nine a.m., "Hattie" was going over the mountains with less force and the best portion of the building was still standing. But the vat was now dry. We took a bad lashing starting at three a.m. but by one p. m. it looked as if we were being saved. With the wind still about 45 m.p.h., I gave Mr. Matthew Andrews instruction to take-over the station while I went out and made a check on the damage. The village, with a population of 444, having 114 buildings and three different banks (namely, High Sand, Middle Bank and Freetown) is about three miles in length; I decided to check on High Sand first. Going up from the police station, everything was flatten- ed by the hurricane along High Sand. The mountains, which were not visible yesterday, now looked as if they were put there today. With the condition of the village as it was, I couldn't help thinking that all the other buildings were de- stroyed and only the people who lived through the hurricane in the police station were alive. I went along Middle Bank, first shouting, "Hey there, is anybody hurt?" At first I didn't get any answer so I continued shouting. I was relieved of my terrible suspicions by a voice saying, "No, P.C." Running to where I heard the answer I noticed that it was Mrs. Emma Reynolds. She was under the roof of her wrecked building with her husband and children. I continued on my investigation and found people all along the way crawling from under rubbish. Remembering Edgar Sankall who stayed alone at All Piner as the light man for the mail boat, I inquired about him and was told that he hadn't come in. Having made checks on the people at High Sand, I ad- vised them to go to the station to take refuge from the flood which was expected from rivers after the heavy rain. At Middle Bank it was the same. No one was killed and all houses were down with the exception of the health centre and the Roman Catholic School. After crossing over to Freetown, I found that the news there was much more unpleasant. With all the houses nearly destroyed there were two deaths and one person badly hurt. I saw the body of Walter Kelly, 21 years old, pinned down by neck and arm by the floor of the building which fell on him and his grandfather, James Kelly, 83 years. I didn't see the body of the old man because he was further under- neath. Levi Coleman, 10 years old, was groaning in the Meth- odist Church suffering from pains in his groin from injuries which he received when the building fell and killed his great grandfather and other relatives. Little Levi died later the same week. Returning to Middle Bank, I stopped at the Roman Cath- olic school because the flood was already waist high. The people who were there advised me to wait there until the water would go down as it was dangerous to try and get to the police station through it. I took their advice and stopped there until the following day. On Wednesday, November 1, I returned to the station which was now filled with refugees. Some were cooking food given to them by one of the grocers, Calvent Reynolds. Normally, the people don't drink the water from the river but at this stage they were doing so. I advised them to boil it first. During the course of the day I switched on my radio and picked up a conversation between somebody from Guate- mala and Stanley Field Airport, Belize. Through this, I was able to learn of the damage done to Belize and that some helicopters were coming from Panama. Hearing of the helicopters coming, I got a team of men and cleaned a field in front of the station for a possible land- ing of one of the helicopters. With Frank, Arnold, Alfred Forman, John Ramos Sr. and myself, walking in mud and water over fallen trees for about five miles, we managed to reach the main road and went to Stann Creek in the jeep which John Ramor had parked on the main road at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 2. In the jeep there were some oranges which we really made good use of. Going on to Stann Creek, it looked as if a big fire had passed through the forest and burnt the bushes up to the mountains. On arriving in Stann Creek, I reported to the District Commissioner Mr. G. T. Sabido and Inspector Adolphur. The D. C. immediately got a Cessna plane loaded with food and dispatched it to Sittee instructing the pilot to drop the food in front of the police station. Unfortunately, the pilot missed the target and dropped the food somewhere else so the people of Sittee were out of luck with that. We returned from Stann Creek on the following day, Friday, November 3, 1961 on board the M.V. Rio Dulce with Doctor Heap of the Medical department, Flynn of the U. S. Navy, Sgt. Evans, his orderly, nurse Miranda and the other people who accompanied me to Stann Creek. The villagers were very happy to know that we had brought them food and medicinal supplies. I was told that Edgar Sankall was safe. The thing that impressed me was to see that the men in the police station had collected all the zincs which had blown off the station and had the roof repaired. This was done in my absence in order to keep the rain off the 102 peoples' heads who were now taking shelter in the station. Knowing that the food which we brought to Stann Creek wasn't sufficient to issue out to each individual I called up Frank Muslar, Joseph Espinosa, Alexander Lockwood and David McDougal also Walter Castillo and issued the food evenly to them according to the number of people which they had in charge and instructed them to have it cooked and to see that everybody got a little to eat. On Saturday November 4, a bit of history was made in Sittee when two helicopters from the U.S. Navy landed in front of the police station with food and water. One man remarked "If Hattie hadn't come, we wouldn't have heli- copters landing here." The helicopter left the same afternoon with doctors Heap and Flynn and Sgt. Evans. 9 By Sunday, everybody was innoculated against typhoid by nurse Miranda. During the emergency period, we also had the visits of the Captain and men of H.M.S. Landondemy, H.M.S. Vidal, doctors from the University College of the West Indies, Colonel Hall and men of the Worcestshire Regiment, the R. C. mission, Seventh Day Adventist, World church services, the Red Cross, the D. C. Mr. Sabido and Inspector Adolphur, the First Minister, the Hon. George Price, the Chief Secre- tary and the Hon. D. L. McKay representative for the Stann Creek Rural Division. On most of the visits by the above mentioned people, we received from them either food, blankets, clothing, zincs or gift boxes. The co-operation given me by the villagers in getting the village cleaned up in such a short time without any incident was excellent. I know that they are more than thankful for all the help they received from the different people whom I have mentioned before. We are thankful that the Great Master has spared most of us from the very powerful "Hattie", which will be remembered as long as we live. The Wreck of Mullins River by Constable Arthur Skeran No. 415 Central Police Station P. T. O. October 31, 1961 was one of the finest days in the month for the little village of Mullins River 27 miles south of Belize. This popular resort village, only a mile in length and 100 yards wide, lay quiet, in the evening just before dusk. Then, suddenly, the cry of "Hurricane is out, Hurricane is out" echoed from the lips of the three hundred inhabitants and the scene changed swiftly. Night had just been settling in when I had returned from a day's work on my father's ranch about one and a half miles northwest of this village. The sky was darkened with a reddish glow hanging over the distant hills lying to the northwest. It was the custom of the young men to play cards and drink at one of the saloons every night. So it was on the night of the hurricane. We, my brother and myself, were in the upstairs room of a saloon in the southern end of the village with about 15 other young men ages 15-25. We were not in the least bit troubled as we had never experienced a hurricane before and did not know what it entailed. It was about the tenth hour when the effect of the breeze could be felt from the ordinary wind. Then the latest report from a neighboring radio said the hurricane was heading straight for British Honduras. The wind increased. The zinc of the house began to give way and it was then that the crowd in the saloon became annoyed because the rain was pouring through the roof and it stung like the bite of an ant. We then decided to go into the saloon. No sooner had we done so when the verandah along with the step came down with a crash, startling us a little. We stayed there for what seemed like days. At intervals we heard neighboring houses going down with muffled crashes. By this time the water was rising very fast and was about two feet in the saloon. It was about the fourth hour of the morning and it was beginning to get clear. As the house was now shaking rapidly, we decided to run for the old' station, one of the strongest and largest of the one hundred and fifty houses; it was about 200 yards from the saloon. One by one we emerged from the saloon, struggling over trees, zinc and pieces of houses. Fortunately, only one boy was cut on the ankle by a zinc. A few minutes later however, it was patched up by some daring females who rendered first aid to him, and later to another boy who was hit in the left eye by a whirling piece of board. Despite the howling wind, the station stood its ground but when the enormous waves slashed against it with the water about waist high in the building, it could not restrain. Down it went in pieces, leaving about seventy people to battle for their lives. However, God Almighty is a wonderful God, for by this time it was daylight and we were able to see our way. It was a piteous sight to see all the children crying so mournfully. Some of them forced their way onto trees and the waves slashed at their feet like hungry wolves. At this time it seemed as if we were experiencing the centre of the disaster for the rain was just pouring fantasti- cally and the wind at its worst causing zincs, boards, vats and many other things to go flying like kites. Assisting as much as we could, with the children, my brother and I decided to swim inland, away from the sea. Joined by eleven others of which two were men, one a woman, and the rest children, we swam for what I presumed to be two hours, resting at intervals with our burden, the six children. We reached a good shelter, on some trees about two feet above water and we decided to wait for the bitter end. It was about this time that I remembered Noah's flood and I thought that this must be a second one. A few minutes later my attention was attracted by two horns emerging from the water a foot and a half below. Im- mediately I beckoned to my nearest companion, who happen- ed to be my brother. He tremblingly asked what this was, to which I replied that I did not know. This extra-ordinary creature came out of the water entirely. It had two horns on a head like that of a cat with teeth like that of a wolf on the body of a small dog. It was only visible for a few minutes. After it disappeared we stood watching each other speech- lessly. Half nude, with the rain burning through our skin like sharp needles, we waded our way through the water which was now subsiding rapidly and only about waist high to the village. Arriving on the spot where the village once stood, only two buildings were visible besides the new station and the Roman Catholic mission. It was now about 3 p.m., November 1. Not having any- thing to eat from the night, we were now very hungry. However, the only food there were cocoanuts and we ate these for about three days before we got aid from the U.S. Navy. After checking ourA.missing people we found out that forty-three were absent. This was the worst day I ever spent in my life in the little village known as Mullin's River. HURRICANE HATTIE - Spanish Lookout By John D. Friesen Yes, this is the night following hurricane Hattie, and since our nerves have not calmed down much from yes- terday, sleep does not come easily. Since another storm started blowing at this time of night, we got up again to pay a little more tribute to yesterday's passing storm. Between torrents of rain and gusts of wind and storm I will take off a while to tell you about the big hurricane that struck Spanish Lookout about 6:00 .a.m., Oct. 31, 1961. Oct. 31 was on Tuesday, the day in the week that we usually go to Belize with produce (vegetables and eggs). Since fairly stiff winds had been blowing since Monday night, and had kept picking up in volume, it was easy to leave the bed and get up early to make ready for the trip to Belize. We had not slept comfortably at all that night. Since 1 a.m. we had gotten up occasionally to shut off strong gusts of wind, and later in the earlier part of the morning, rain had to be kept out of the house. Our houses are built so as to -let in the cooling breezes from the Carribean, but not to withstand hurricanes and rains which are liable to come in horizontally. It started to get quite uncomfortable. Only curtains and in some instances shutters kept outside elements from coming in. Strong winds are not usual at night time in this country. When I got up at 4 o'clock this morning I could see a light coming from the next village one and a half miles north from here which meant that despite the storm my friends were planning to go to Belize. Although some rain was start- ing to come down by this time, it had been negligible thus far. It was the storm and the uncertainty of the weather that made our trip to Belize doubtful. I had gone back to bed and apparently fallen asleep when suddenly the noise of the tractor awakened me. I hurriedly dressed and made ready for the trip. As the rain now came down intermittently, things also started changing. It was now 5 a.m. My son, Daniel, was preparing to take me to the river, where Reimer's Feed Shop had their truck parked for con- venient loading on the other side of the river. Here roads are safe from rain. We had all our vegetables loaded from the day previous and were ready to go. Not much time was lost in preparation. But by this time the fury of the storm had increased in intensity and rain was whipping down faster. I decided I would stay home and Daniel would go to Belize where he would help with the selling of and unloading of the precious cargo, which at this time probably meant about 3000 lbs. of produce. And, if possible, I would go this afternoon on the bus to help with the selling and distribution of ve- getables. Since Danny left, the storm was increasing and the closing of shutters and curtains was quite inadequate and the floors of our house were starting to wet up. The chores and milking were left undone. I made more shelter for our four week old pullets which were housed in a small 10 x 12 chicken house with strips on the side, by finding some bags and nailing them on for shelter By 6 o'clock, or a little after, trees which we had left stand- ing in the pasture for shade were starting to topple over. It was 7 o'clock now and we should have had our breakfast. Instead, we were uneasy and moved around in the house to look out one window and the next. By this time the intensity of the storm had increased to such a proportion that we felt sure there must be a hurricane on its way here. It was now about similar to what hurricane Anna had done when it struck about 60 miles south of Belize in earlier part of the season, striking at Mango Creek and Mon- key River or the one we had last year which struck much the same area, bringing us much storm and about three to four inches of rain, but no real damage to property or buildings. As we have no radios we had no warning of the hurri- cane whatsoever. We later found out that some of our people had gone to Belize on Monday and were sent home by Belize officials and friends. They, however, arrived home late and had not given any alarm. If this was going to be a hurricane, it had come on short notice. Quite frequently, we heard of a hurricane off the coast somewhere, deep in the ocean, moving slowly westward to some populated area on the shores, or swinging out of range and diminishing in the deep seas. We knew what it meant if a hurricane came into the danger zone of Belize, when hurricane Carla moved into that zone, as that was the very night that many of us stayed in Belize. We had a little knowledge of what is actually going on just before a hurricane strikes. We had seen many helmeted police, probably from the reserve or volunteer force, riding their bikes from place to place to check and give advice. Many had started nailing their shops shut. At 4 o'clock the news had been such that the red danger flag on the courthouse square was hoisted. This meant that the hurricane was moving in, and people were warned to take heed. Hurricane Carla at that time had winds only up to 50 or 60 miles per hour, which was not considered too dangerous. Nevertheless, I had gone to a store to buy a flashlight for the night. They said that the electricity was the first thing to go out, and I did not want to grope around in the dark amongst dark people on such a night. But Carla decided to take a different course that time. The 10 o'clock news re- ported Carla heading into the Gulf of Mexico. In the morning the red danger flag was taken down and Carla was no longer considered a threat to British Honduras. Carla later struck Galvestone Texas with a terrific 150 mile per hour gale. So if this was going to be a hurricane now, we had not heard of it. It was now 8:30 and we saw Daniel coming home on the tractor and trailer. This, to us, meant that they had decided not to go to Belize in such weather. We expected them to have stayed at Jacob Hein's store, or take to some other shelter on the way. We had not expected them to have crossed the river as yet, due to the extreme weather, but they had, and had stored the vegetables in the Reimer's Feed Shop warehouse on the other side of the river. Mr. John L. Barkman and C. W. Reimer came along with Daniel but went straight home. The storm was now terrific and rain came down in great gushes, wetting everything in its path. We had our doubts for Mr. Barkman and Mr. Reimer as we saw them go on so thoroughly soaked, fighting the storm. We had hoped they would turn in on the last house of this village but they went on for home. Mr. Reimer was showing signs of exhaustion and shiver- ing from the wet clothes. The great storm made it feel cool, although actually it was not so cool. For us thin blooded people here however, it seemed really cold. By 9 o'clock, we knew that we were in a hurricane as Daniel had already told us of several palm-thatched houses or barns that had been blown down on his way up from the river. Trees had been toppling over since 7 a.m., coming down in big thuds. The ground vibrated from their weight as the 60 footers came to earth. It was about this time that our 30' x 60' ft. shed, also palm-thatched, went down with fuel drums, corn, 150 old hens and what not buried under the big heap of palm leaves. In the house everything was getting wet and water was all over the floor as the rain and storm increased to a new fury. The wind whipped straight through the house. Once and again the curtains were pulled shut and nailed on again, but again they were blown right in. In the end they were left to the storm, as everything was wet anyway. We were now crowding into the center room for the only sheltered part of the inside house. We were scared and wet, starting to shiver. We confessed our sins one to another, and knelt down in prayer. All this time there was no sign of any letup in the storm nor rain. Instead, the storm was gaining momentum and fury. Looking out now to the north-east, we could distinguish one gust from the other when the big remaining trees bent their tall heads nearly to the wet ground. When the wind struck the house, the building would shake and vibrate. Everywhere you looked at seemed unsafe and we were plan- ning to flee the house. But where to? We still had some fairly dry quilts, so we took them and wrapped them around our bodies and then covered these with a plastic cover to keep out the rain. Then we went out but hesitated in the porch as to which direction to take. We found that the wind had shifted from northwest to northeast. On the porch we were well protected from the storm and rain and we remained there. About this time our other thatched hen house was in danger as the big tree standing behind it, (I believe it must have been around 60 feet high with enormous branches to all sides) started to lean over. Finally, it fell straight over the building and seemed to hold it from blowing away. But as the storm shifted to the east, the henhouse gave way and went down flat, covering the 150 pullets with it. This was about 10 o'clock. Till now we had some shelter from our bush on the northern side of the yard, but the larger trees gave way and some branches were breaking off, so that we could now see the gable of the church from here right over our once high, shelter belt. Since we were so well protected from the storm here we could not think of any safer place. Besides, we had as much protection as our neighbors. At about 11 o'clock J. B. Loewen's house had slid over to one side of the foundation. This was about the time that the hurricane was at its peak, for after 11 we could not notice any increase in the storm's velocity. I had persuaded my family to take a little food in case we should go through more hardships, although nobody felt hun- gry. We still were ready to flee in case the house should start to break up. Between 11 and 12 o'clock when the gale was at its peak we noticed that we could no longer see the church building and we considered it gone too. It had been a 40' x 70' palm-thatched structure. It was also during this time that we noticed the school building, 40 rods to the west of here, hanging limply to one side. The porch in front was gone too. After 12 o'clock the rain started to abate and soon after that it was noticeable that the storm had also lost some of its fury. At about 2 p.m. we had enough courage to prepare a meal and eat our first hot meal of the day. Many families left their homes to go to their neighbors during the worst part of the storm and rain. M. C. Penners vacated their house and spread out their big tarpaulin, and crept under it. They sat on half of it and used the other half for covering their family of 12. A. P. D. Reimers left their house at 9 o'clock, and sat for an hour in their empty chicken house, as their house had been lifted several times from 6 inches to 12 inches high. When that no longer seemed safe, they left for a neighboring empty house and remained there, soaked, for another three hours, using it only as shelter. Their house had lifted off its cement blocks at about 10 o'clock and was now pegged up by some of the concrete blocks poking through the floors. Our trip to El Cayo and Belize City Nov. 2. and 3. On the second day after the hurricane, we decided we must dispose of our produce or take a complete loss. Of course, we could only cross on a boat, as the Belize River was overflowing. We crossed the river by motor boat with John K. Reimer as pilot. The river had swollen, so we had now at least half a mile to the opposite shore. The sun was shining brightly and the outlook on life was better. But oh, the smell! Where did it come from? We did not have to guess long. We drove past the car- cass of an animal which had started to decompose. John K. Reimer, who was our driver said there was another animal in the bush, sticking out of the water. It looked as though it had still been living on the last trip but there seemed no way to help the poor creature in the current. We had no gun to do away with it so it was left to its plight. It could not have lasted many more minutes. We found our goods intact at the storage room, and after we loaded the produce, we were on our way to the little town El Cayo (about 1500 inhabitants) to obtain a permit from the police and find out if we could dispose of part or 17 SWING BRIDGE AFTER This is a good view of the Swing Bridge and market square with the tidal wave still in. (Government Photo) Swing Bridge back to normal two years after Hattie. (Government Photo) all of our goods here. Although the merchants and the hur- ricane emergency committee were talking big at the start, it whittled down to about 20 cases of eggs and 10 crates of vege- tables. Even with the town's population crowded to double its original size, people hesitated to buy outright as merchants could not know if people had come with money. Besides, help was supposed to come any time now. Guatemala had just offered a planeload or two of goods for hurricane relief, and it would be decided tonight at a meeting whether help from this country would be acceptable. Evidently, help from any country could not very well be denied when people actually were in a plight. And so it was with this generous offer from a good, neighboring country. It was getting late now, already past 3 p.m., and we were not on our way to Belize yet. Everything took so long to decide because everybody was so undecided. People were talking big stories of Hattie, and rumors went around that there still was 10 ft. of water on the highway towards Belize. So what could we do at this stage, go back home? We would find out ourselves, and at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon we decided to try our luck. We hit out for Belize, but at 56 miles frcm Belize we were actually confront- ed with seven ft. of water on the highway. Other vehicles were also stalled here on their way to Belize. People had fled from Belize before Hattie and could now not get back to find out about their homes and relatives. Rumors were running unchecked, and everybody was anxious to find out the actual facts. Others with us tried to ~-- BODIES BURNED This scene and a terrible stench of burning flesh met the author as he came to Belize shortly after Hattie. Bodies burning in a blaze with legs and arms sticking out filled the air with a sickening smell as a party made its way to the city's centre. 6" 2i r- L~t;r i- L17; -. ~L\i .h I NORTH FRONT STREET In front of the Paslow Building on North Front Street. Three natives stand left in front of post office in waist deep water. The Landrover in the picture was useless of course till the waters resided. NORTH FRONT STREET North Front Street in the heart of Belize City back to normal two years after the hurricane. (Government Photo) .1 ~ ROAD BLOCKED This street is completely blocked in a scene taken immediately after Hattie. People are just digging themselves out of the wreckage. (Government Photo) find out how fast the water was receding and how long it would take till the water would be only two to three feet deep. We measured and then timed, and again we measured and timed. It was going down about 6 inches every hour. That meant within six to eight hours we would be able to pass. Before settling down for the night, we had our supper on the highway at the rear of the truck. Darkness had come fast and we could hardly see to eat our supper. The weather seemed to be fair enough, and after finishing our scanty meal we settled down for the night, one person on the seat of the truck, two on the truck box at rear, and two under the truck at the rear. We had a few empty jute bags to sleep on and in this country we don't worry much with what we cover ourselves up. The night was soon past. At 3 a.m. the water was down to where we would try it and it turned out to be only two ft. deep. Soon we were on our way again to Belize. At mile 51 we were again confronted with water on the highway, this time at Roaring Creek. Here the water was not so deep but it stretched out for nearly half a mile. Again we waited to find out what would happen next. BEFORE HATTIE A traffic scene approaching the Swing Bridge in the Belize City. Notice left driving, which was changed only October 1st, 1961 to right driving. (Government Photo) After waiting for nearly an hour a Land Rover came from the opposite direction without difficulty and we were again on our way to Belize. It was still dark. If it hadn't been for this, we would have been better able to calculate the damage by the flood in Roaring Creek. We found out later that the water had actually been as high as to the second story of a house. This was equally true of El Cayo where water damage was probably as great or greater as from that done by the hurricane itself. In one instance alone a store was flooded to the second storey and damage to the extent of $50,000.00 was the result. Although the highway was flooded we had no further trouble in coming to the 30,000 inhabitant city. At mile six we stopped at the canal bridge to clean off and wash. It was about 6:30 a.m. and broad daylight. One mile from Belize is the graveyard where thousands of Belizeans sleep. The graveyard extended on both sides of the road, and further along the road you could see a fire blazing. A man was feeding the fire from the debris the hurricane had left. Upon nearing the blaze, about 30 ft. from the road we could distinguish the bodies of human beings under the blaze, perhaps half a dozen or more. Legs were still sticking out of the fire. A little further away from the road was a trench dug by bulldozer where the remains would be thrown in after the fire would go down. Says Jacob Hein, I thought I smelled some awful stench when we neared this place. Before we entered Belize, the truck stopped and Mr. P. D. Reimer and P. K. Reimer asked if we still wanted to go on in? Jacob Hein and myself were on the load at the back. I said we were still determined to go ahead. Even at the risk of bandits helping to unload? So on we went, and since we were sitting on the load and above the box of the truck, we were continually dodging telephone wires. Dave Plett, my son-in- law, driver, was dodging telephone poles as well, though it was now almost impossible to dodge all of them. Even on our way in we had run over telephone wires hundreds of times as they were strewn all over the highway. From here on we are able to drive only where a bulldozer had cleared the way. Qt K41 [, b4 r 1 I ~,-s NOW .. ANOTHER BEGINNING With the storm clouds gone and the flood waters disappeared, the people, still stunned, prepare themselves for the work that lies ahead in cleaning up and rebuilding. The picture was taken looking west on North Front Street. The bulldozer has opened the street. ro ) Page Missing or Unavailable Their behaviour seemed queer, so we stopped and discussed what would now be the proper procedure. We decided to have the truck back up to the Shell Oil and park there till we could find out more about the situation. P. K. Reimer, J. Hein and Dave Plett remained to guard the truck and produce. If only the people would not become aware of our precious cargo. If they did, we would not have any more worries of how to get rid of our produce, and the load with a value of $2,000.00 might be unloaded in short order. But alas, we had our live chicken on top of the load and this could be seen from a distance, and might b, taken notice of any minute and our trip turn out to be a complete failure. P. D. Reimer and myself trudged through the mud to the Centre. We had no idea if the Centre would still be there or if the Denlingers had managed to stay alive. The city seemed to be just one big wreck, and it was a miracle that not many more lives were lost during the storm, as there were houses strewn all over town on every street school houses, church buildings, colleges, and the fire hall, Post office, government buildings and government dwellings. All had suffered, and roofs were ripped open and walls were smashed in. It was a horrible sight to behold of a city that was at other times so peaceful, and quiet, now lying in such a horrible mass. AFTER HATTIE This picture was taken in the early morning hours after Hattie :on October 31. The vulnerable situation in which the people were left after Hattie. Four inches of rain followed after this picture was taken the following night. Photo from Pickstock Street from the Mennonite Centre. SPhoto Mrs. C. Denlinger I We were now nearing the Center. A large crowd was still going in and out of a store just across the street from the Center. It looks to me as if that store is being raided, I said to Mr. Reimer, who was at this time forming the same conclusion. We had never seen such a raid before and were taken quite by surprise. There however, was the Center quite intact with only some sheets of roofing gone, and a thorough soaking inside and out. The tidal wave that accompanied the hurricane had been from eight to 10 feet deep all over town and left no part of town untouched. After the water had receded it had left a four inch muck and bad odor all over the city. Mr. Chester Denlinger, who was at that time the manager of the Mennonite Center, was watching the raiders across the street and quite forgot to say hello to us as we entered. We enquired where we could unload the produce, but at present they had no place, although they very much would like to do so, because the city would be needing food soon. Mr. Denlinger and Jake Thiessen a man from Canada, also serving the Center for two years for M. C. C., advised us to go to the police station to find out where to unload. So we hurried to the police station for more information. Only a hundred steps from the Central police station another store was being raided, but no police had appeared to stop this. So we just marched past the raiders and enquired again where to unload our produce. I know now they must have felt sorry for us to try to unload or even be in town with that truck load of goods unprotected. Nevertheless, they informed us to try the marketing board, since they would be made responsible for all food distribution in this disaster. We went back to the truck to let the others know of our delay, and that we would have to leave them again to trudge over to the marketing board. They were not much encouraged by our news, but as the raiders were still busy at the other two places, everything remained quiet at the truck. We were past the swing bridge and coming beyond the post office where again a large crowd had gathered. A barb wire barracade was quickly being unrolled at his place and soldiers were all around. We had to do some figuring to find a place to go through. The crowd was pushing towards the door of another store the soldiers were fixing their rifles and bayonets. The sergeant, close to the door, was getting ready for action, and we had in the meantime passed the first barb wire barricade and were heading for the other side. I was fast sensing the danger we were getting into as the soldiers came from the outside of the barb wire barricade. We were in the midst of it and I started to search out the C. LOOTING Looting which broke out shortly after the hurricane, is seen in action here in front of the Royal Bank in Market Square. Note the man carrying home a complete roll of dress material. faces of the closest soldiers and smile at them, so that they would know that we were not one of the raiders. But they scarcely took heed, as they were watching for the signal kfom the sergeant. Only as we stepped past the far side :- the barricade did we get close enough to one of the sentries that he actually smiled back in recognition. "Did you see in what a tense situation we were in?" I asked Peter. He had only now realized the amount of danger that we had just gan passing through. 'The army had just been stationed here this morning and had come in only the day previous by plane from Jamaica .tt.help our country maintain order. We were now marching towards Mr. Guy Nord's store and sentries were standing gi Lrd on our way. Mr. Nord had called the army in, as the raiders had commenced to ransack his big store. As Mr. Nord also handles liquor, these were the first items to fall into the hands of the raiders. When asked why they did the reading they said they were hungry. They didn't explain their thirst though. David Plett, P. K. Reimer and Jacob Hein were anxiously waiting for us to return. A man had seen the suspicious load and told those at the truck that he'd be back with the other Voys to help unload. These men were the raiders. 27 55 I LOOTING Looting taking place at the Brodies Department Store. Although looters claimed to be hungry, stoves, hardware and even electrical re- frigerators were carried away. A crowd of several thousand took part. (Government Photo) Meanwhile, we arrived at Nord's store and found that the army had its headquarters here equipped with field tele- phones etc. We explained to the sergeant here in what position we were with our produce, and if they would send guards to protect the truckload of produce while moving to the marketing board. This they did. They sent two soldiers. Mr. P. D. Reimer and myself now had to go to the mar- ketin'g board to arrange for the truck's unloading. This was another couple of hundred yards further, and as we had only our regular oxfords, the muck was reaching half way up to our knees. Other people were doing the same, for we had just met the Colonial Sec., Mr. Porcher walking in the same manner and this gave us enough courage to hustle along. At the marketing board everything was in a turmoil, as they were cleaning soaked rice and other soaked goods out of their warehouse. In the meantime, the situation at the truck was getting tenser. As one native came close by he noticed the load of produce, and said he'd go tell the boys (meaning the raiders) and they'd be right over to help with the unloading of the truck. This gave our men at the truck a cold chill along the spine, for it meant trouble. We expected the raiders now any mi- nute but instead two sentries came and walked straight to our trek. They said they were there to take us through to the marketing board. We were much relieved, but even with the soldiers on our truck they had to come to a stop on the way, on areaMt of a mob not wanting to give way. With the sent- ries' ammand however, we were soon rolling along again -and son reached the place at Nord's where the army was stationed. We were surprised to find the truck there so soon upon -ou return from the marketing board but felt much relieved Ijt the same. We were now contemplating what best to do -lnct the marketing board would not be ready until this after- Ban a.nd the army itself was in need of supplies. We de- -ides~ to wait until the marketing board opened but then -Vthe bulk of the soldiers were breaking up for some other -iesr We now left abruptly for the Marketing Board and with 8 little waiting, found w, could now unload our goods. Al- though we received only a receipt for the load, we were .;g,3y relieved with the load off our hands. As we were making ready to leave, a kind old gentle- mAn siasd us to take some supplies back to the Shell sta- -tion, where he said he had a boat waiting. This we did, but before we were gone another errand was waiting for us to be dos, They very kindly asked us to get three bales of lthfing from the Y.W.C.A. which was nearly a mile away on i' : i ,if -M[ ON SEA SIDE Tatking to the town mayor, Mr. Wesley, left, The First Minister, ftntre, who was making private visits to distressed people. This partic- lart house is a complete loss. CLEAN UP Cleaning up after the bulldozer. Flat tires on cars were a common scene as nails and other debris on the roads were hard to remove. the Corozal road. One of the women went along to do the business part of it, and show the way. It was quite trouble- some to find a clear road through as one street we turned in had a vat standing on the street as well as a house lying on its side. We had to back out and take the next street which had already been cleared by bulldozer. Coming to the Y.W.C.A. we saw a long row of people waiting for food. Since we had to wait for the lady to re- turn with the bundles of clothing, a native woman came along and told us to give her a chicken (we still had not got rid of our live chicken). She begged us but had no money. We decided to give her a chicken. No sooner had I done this, then a crowd started gathering fast at the back of the truck, and I handed out chickens as fast as my son-in-law could catch them. I now started throwing them into the crowd because I did not want to hurt the peoples' feeling. This however left .., T I A STREET Open season on lost belongings take home what you find. Rubbish filled the streets after the water left the streets. In most cases you had to see to believe the awful damage. (Government Photo) - ME"= I DESOLATION This bleak scene was photographed from the Mennonite Centre looking over North Front Street towards the northwest. Across the canal In the left centre stands the Belize electric power building, com- pletely stripped of its roof. (Photo by Mrs. Chester Delinger) MOAN.- it more up to them and the chicken. The crowd was now no: less then five deep at the back of the truck. It was all I could do to keep people from climbing over the side of the truck. The first crate of chickens was gone and we told them there were to be no more as we wanted to keep the rest. By this time the bundles of clothing were being brought and we were soon ready to go back to the Mennonite Center, where we now washed our feet, shoes and socks and dried them out as well as we could. As the day was now fast dy- ing, we took the route home by way of the airport so we could mail our letters. The post office was still nailed shut when we left Belize. As we got out beyond Boom ferry we could spend our first dimes for a drink on the trip. You couldn't buy a thing in Belize because they just didn't use currency for dealing. Melinda Forest Station A report by Richard Tolman We had been stationed here, at our new Forest Station at Melinda Forest Reserve near Stann Creek just recently frem England, and were quite new yet when the big blow came. We had not got attached to our surroundings as yet and were by no means aclimatized. The weather was very hot and the air humid, when on Oct. 30 a little after 2 p.m. we heard the news of Hurricane Hattie heading towards 'British Honduras, probably to some northern district. We still had all the hopes that the hurricane would pass us up, when later at night we got word over the radio that it was actually lined up for British Honduras. Still, indications were tbat it would strike north of Belize. As a stiff breeze started blowing shortly after 8 p.m. on Oct. 30 however, we did not feel so sure whether this was not attached to Hurricane Hattie. All afternoon the low hanging clouds sailed over our heads, moisture laden, bring- ing nmoe humid air as they accumulated all around us - with each hour the breeze grew stiffer. We had been nailing : few windows shut in case the storm should move in line for Stann Creek. Shortly after midnight the storm moved into a gale-like velocity as trees started to tumble down, and houses started cracking and the roofing of houses rattled. When a new gust of storm came, one or the other pieces of roofing sailed off over our heads from our 90 ft. bungalow, which stood about -9 ft. high on stilts but was partly arranged for living down- tairi: too. It must have been near 3 a.m. when we saw our native neighbours running towards our house with five chil- dren ranging from two to 13 years of age. They were in- deed a pitiful sight to see. Soaked and frightened, they hud- dled inside the door of our house. They had evidently lost all hope that their house could be saved from the raging storm. Mt.the storm gained momentum, our neighbour soon sug- gsted that we go downstairs. Not knowing what next to do we took his advice as if he had been our leader for years. We huddled close to the middle of the room near the bath room, away from the storm as much as we could, as we didn't care to get wet needlessly. All this time the house had been shaking and groaning which made us feel giddy. And we had not managed to stay dry whilst going down- stairs, as rains were coming in horizontally and mostly being whipped around each corner by the terrific gale increasing at every new gust of storm. As it was dark we could hear each fresh squall as it neared our building. Although we some- times felt like fleeing, we did not know whereto, especially as the last squall that hit us shook the house at its moor- ing. We were very much frightened. It was only a matter of minutes till the next blast was coming along and the trees bent their bows down nearly to the ground. Others were giving up completely and tumbling over helplessly. We were now hushing t: the center wall as the wcrld didn't seem to care for us anymore and all turned black and silent. The next thing I noticed I found myself lying flat with face downward with nothing to see nor hear except the terrible howling of the storm some place above us. I called to my young wife and above my expectation she answer- ed just beside me, I stretched out my hand and found her. My one foot was pinned down and was giving me some pain and anxiety. With the help of my wife we got the leg free and I started groping around for some object to help me make a hole in the floor to get out. We could now hear the whimpering of some of the native children, a little further away and this urged me the more to get out. In a little while I had managed to get a hole in the floor above me big enough to crawl through and two of the chil- dren also managed to crawl to safety. During this time the storm had abated abruptly, and all was calm. As soon as the children were free I sent them for help while I stood guard and tried to open up more space so that the rest could get out. The father of the na- tive children and his 13 year old daughter remained pinned down. God had taken care of us. An English-made wash- tub about 14 inches high on which the house had fallen, held the floor from coming down completely, and had evi- dently saved our lives. It took us about an hour with the rescuers help to get the 13 year old girl and father out. The girl had a fractured arm above the elbow and father otherwise sustained bruises. But where were the other two small children? Already one was being taken out, apparently lifeless, and the other one was found near the first. Both had been pinned down on the body and no life remained in the small bodies. We and our rescuers hurried to one of the rescuers' houses for shelter as the gale was upon us as at the turn of a hand, and rain and storm came lashing down anew. We now knew that it only had been the center of the storm and had given us just a little time to get out of the storm and wreckage to our new shelter. After the storm had blown itself out, it was daylight ad the whole area looked deserted. We could look deep rto the hills where before the storm a big forest had been standing. Now only white sticks were sticking their long poles up to show where a few hours before a green forest stood. Soon after daybreak we went to see our house, only to find a heap of wreckage. The bedroom remained almost intact and had we only remained in bed, we would have suffered no special harm except a good wetting. At the Forest station, the weather barometer registered 208 miles .per hour when the instrument failed. Aid Poura In (taken from British Honduras news clippings) Apart from the immediate relief aid that was sent during the first crucial weeks after the Hurricane in personnel, me- dical supplies and food, funds have been opened in many jpats:of the world for rehabilitation work in British Honduras. So far, according to Press and radio reports the follow- ing grants and donations have been made: The United Kingdom $40,000 (To launch the fund) The United States of America 428,000; The Jamaica Glean- -er Fund 85,000 (last report); The Government of Mauritus - 10,000; The Government of Bermuda 20,000; Church of Scotland (Through Br. Council of Churches) 2,000; Inter- church Aid and Refugee Service Department of Br. Council of Churches 20,000; Pope John XXIII 2,000. Thire are many other sources which have contributed and are still contributing of which no definite figures have bhenA heard of. As soon as we receive these they will be pub- lished ft the British Honduras. British and U. S. Governments sent cash aid The British Government allotted B.H. $40,000 and Ameri- can Government U.S. $300,000 for immediate aid to British Honduras when news of destruction caused to British Hon- duras by Hurricane Hattie reached abroad. It is believed that the assistance now reaching this coun- try in the form of food, clothing and other materials from these Governments have been paid for from these allocations. Page Missing or Unava able Fort Myers, Florida Comes To B.H. Aid by Robert Taylor, November 16, 1961 The people of Fort Myers, Florida have made generous contribution to British Honduras during the Hattie emer- gency. These people, who were badly hit by Hurricane Donna on September 10, 1960, immediately sensed the disaster which had come to us, and they teamed up to help what they called "their neighbors in Belize, British Honduras". Relief aid got started through the efforts of Mr. Bill E. Facey of B. H. who got in touch with Bill J. Williams a Fort Myers businessman who made a number of trips to B. H. last year. To date, they have sent here more than three plane loads of clothing, medical supplies and other much needed mater- ials, amounting to 18 tons. All materials sent to British Hon- duras were transported free of charge through the kind ges- 'ture of Air Tropic International Airlines' president, Bob Hatterson. Immediately after it was known that Hattie had struck British Honduras, the people of Fort Myers started organi- zing through the efforts of T.V. station W.I.N.K. and News Press, which had its headquarters at St. Mary's Anglican Church. Once the drive was started, citizens started responding spontaneously. Edward Simpson, Mayor of Fort Myers, in an initial speech launching the drive expressed what he called "warm feeling to our neighbors." Representing the Fort Myers community on trips to Be- .lize were Chad Wiltshire, Bud Williams, Cliff Head, Bill Wil- -fUm and Fr. R. Saxton Walte. Wilteshire and Head took pictures of Belize and the coun- try for television purposes in the United States. The Fort Myers effort is a contribution solely by the people and has nothing to do with any Government agency. Wallboard arrives from Guatemalan Government Belize City, Nov. 24, On Thursday the Guatemalan Consul General, Sr. Horacio Arroyave, brought to Belize, in the name of his Government, the first quantity of the 3,000 37 sheets that were urgently needed to complete the houses for refugees at Hector Creek. Arriving with the shipment, the Consul expressed the heart-felt greetings of his government along with their "fra- ternal offering of elements of shelters which can protect your children from the cold and winds of the season.". The Consul has offered to intercede with his Government to send materials needed to build a new city which would be a safeguard against the natural elements. Mexican Plane Missing (from the Belize Times) A Mexican airforce plane described as a two-engined sil- ver-grey Beachcraft, is reported missing. Anyone seeing the plane, which bears the Number B4-1508, is asked to contact the nearest police station. Britain Thanks Mexican Gov't For Help to Belize Belize Times November 15, 1961 Belize City, Dec. 7, 1961 Britain has thanked the Mexi- can Government for help they gave to Belize after the hur- ricane, and at the same time expressed sympathies for the loss of the Beachcraft plane which crashed on a mission of mercy to this country. Thanks went to Mexico through the British Ambassador, Sir Peter Garran. The Embassy in Mexico has also announced that a fund has been started here in aid of hurricane victims in Belize. CARE Sends Aid Belize Times. Mr. George E. Brady, an official of the Co-operative for American Relief Everywhere (C.A.R.E.) arrived in Belize City on Saturday afternoon with 1,200 blankets donated by the American people for hurricane relief victims. The blankets are to be distributed among the refugees to be housed at the temporary shelters at Hector Creek. Mr. Brady, who runs the CARE office in Honduras, arrived in the Capital shortly after the hurricane, and after talks with the Premier, the Hon. George Price, returned to San Pedro Sula to purchase the much needed blankets. He said that other CARE offices in Guatemala and Pana- ma had sent supplies of milk, corn meal, and tea. Mr. Brady will stay in the Capital until Wednesday to check on the distribution of the blankets and to make a study of what further help his organization can give to the Government of Belize. He will return to New York and make a report on his findings. Guatemalan Govt's. Help Recognized (Belize Times Press November 28) Belize City, Nov. 15 Official recognition of the in- valuable and humane actions of the Guatemalan Govern- ment and their representatives in Belize during the Hurri- cane Emergency operations has been made through the Bri- tish Legation in Guatemala to the President, Gen. and Engi- neer Miguel Ydigoras Fuentes, and also from the English Authorities in Belize to the Guatemalan Consul General and his staff. According to informed sources the Guatemalan authori- ties have been offering relief measures to the people of Belize on a daily basis after the hurricane. Eight hours after the hurricane, two planes from Guate- mala flew over Belize, a Douglas of the Aviatea and a C-47 of the Airforce Hospital. The Airforce Hospital had sent first five doctors and three nurses specialized in emergency work and equipped with 40,000 anti-tetanus and anti-typhoid vaccine. Last Tuesday evening two more planes of the Airforce brought food that was immediately taken over by the Army at the Airfield in Belize. Then on Thursday, at the request of the Consul General four more planes were sent. These planes brought more food and medicines and also the following personnel 10 doctors, 5 nurses, 10 firemen (ten tons of food and five tons of medi- cine). This mission was then led by the brother of the pre- sent Consul General, Dr. Francisco Jose Arroyave. Along came also Capt. Palomo as the representative of the Minister of Defense of Guatemala, Col. Peralta Azurdia, who was recent- ly appointed in a special Decree to be the Guatemalan Help and Protection during the emergency. Two boats have sailed from Puerto Barrios to Stann Creek transporting construction material, zinc, lumber, nails, carpenters and technical personnel, along with jeeps and two 5-ton trucks. Canada Sends Aid (Belize Times November 16, 1961 B.B.) Canada sent a plane load of blankets, clothing, medical and Red Cross supplies last week to assist the people of British Honduras in recovering from Hurricane Hattie. Arriving from Canada were Miss Anna Fuller, British Honduran resident in Canada, Mr. Fred Cervantes, a British Honduran in the Canadian Airforce, Mr. Albert Batten, Cana- dian Red Cross Representative to B.H., Mr. J. W. Hill, a Canadian surveyor attached to the B.H. Survey Dept. Barclays Bank Donates $20,000 Nov. 28, B.B. Barclays Bank, D.C.O. has donated $20,000 to the British Honduras Hurricane Appeal fund in London, according to a released by the local bank manager, Mr. C. F. T. Tame. -Serving as a co-member of the Appeals Committee is thCaiChairman of Barclays Bank, Mr. Crosley, along with Sir A:Ea Burns, former Governor of British Honduras, Mr. Gar- natt Gordon, High Commissioner of The West Indies, Bri- tish Honduras, British Guiana, and many others. Unilever Donates $4,000 to Hurricane Fund Unilever, Ltd., manufacturers of soap and other products have donated $4,000 B.H. to the Hurricane Appeal Fund op- .ad' in London, it was learned yesterday. James Brodie's and Co., Ltd. are local agents for Unilever U.S. Professor Starts "Hattie" Relief Drive Professor Frank Kalmbach, an American who has spent several months in British Honduras since 1952 doing research work on this country, has organized a Hurricane Hattie Re- lief Drive in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to help bring relief tixWthe people in British Honduras who suffered during Hurri- cane Hattie according to newspaper reports. .Professor Kalmbach announced Monday that he had collected so far, almost 2,000 pounds of clothing which he has already sent to Belize. The Professor is making his drive through a series of lectures to groups and organizations in the Lake Charles area. Along with the lectures Professor Kalmbach is showing colour slide pictures entitled "Belize As It Used To Be" The pic- tures were taken over the last three years. The drive is being conducted with the aid of the St. qharles Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Y.W.C.A. and a BteT.ef Drive Headquarters which he has set up at 108 W. Claude -St. Lake Charles. Red Cross Announcement As there seems to be some misunderstanding concerning the distribution of mattresses, blankets, clothing and other comforts, the Red Cross issues the following statement:- For the purpose of ensuring coverage of all Belize, a Welfare Committee on which representatives of Churches are included, has been set up in each of the five electoral divisions. '*:Each Committee is responsible for house to house visit- ing iin: its own area, and to date it is estimated that 5' '. of the city has been covered. Visitors have been instructed to assess the needs and report accordingly, this means that ration cards are not neces- sarily the pass to get clothes or blankets. The Red Cross wishes to emphasize the fact that these Committees are only acting as a channel for the distribu- tion of relief supplies which come to Red Cross through the generosity of well wishers in other countries, as well as supplies paid for by the Government. For this reason the supplies available must be divided as fairly as possible on the basis of the greatest help to the greatest need, and not as a universal right. NCWC Aids In Hurricane Relief Belize City, Nov. 25, 1961 The Catholic Presbytery in Belize has turned over supplies received from the National Catholic Welfare Conference to the Government Relief pool. NCWC has been sending a great deal of supplies for the hurricane victims of this country. Up to date 1,000 lb. of blankets, 90,000 lbs. of powdered milk have been sent. At present in the harbour is a cargo ship which brought 5,320 bags of flour each containing fifty pounds. From the first week after the hurricane, the NCWC informed His Lord- ship, Rev. R. L. Hodapp, Bishop of Belize, that a large quan- tity of relief supplies would be shipped immediately. The Bishop had returned to Belize City after hearing the disaster. Belize Times. Sympathy Editor, Belize Times, Sir: Please convey my deepest feelings of sympathy to the people of Belize City who suffered in the fury of Hurricane Hattie. We have seen pictures of the wreckage on TV and heard the news over the radio the situation must indeed be serious. Sylvia Watt (Montana, U. S. A.) Aid And Donations Help Arrives (taken from newspaper clippings in the British Honduran, printed in Jamaica by the Daily Gleaner) A little over one week after the storm a portion of the city of Belize was serviced by a direct supply of electricity from the plant on Magazine Road. The Electricity Board linesmen and electricians have been working feverishly to restore power to the streets of the City and then private homes. Superintendent Eugene Robinson was very hopeful of being able to have the whole city lit by Christmas. Two of the Termo-electric engines are now back in opera- tion and as soon as lines can be repaired and lamp posts straightened, more of the city will be receiving power. The work being carried out by the staff of the board is exemplary of the marvellous spirit of hard work to restore the city to normal as being shown by the people in the country. Canada Gives Aid Canada is to give $106,800.00 British Honduras worth of aid to hurricane victims. This was announced by the Prime Minis- ter of Canada, Mr. Diefenbaker, according to the Guardian- Journal, of Nottingham England. Jamaican Company gives 5000 bags cement The Carribean Cement Company Limited has made through the Government of Jamaica a gift of 5000 bags of Cement for use by the Government of British Honduras in the reconstruction and repair of the damage done to that country by Hurricane Hattie. This announcement was made yesterday by Sir William Stephenson, Chairman of the Company. Offer of this gift was made to the Premier of Jamaica, the Honourable Norman Manley, M.M.Q.C., in a letter sent yesterday on Sir Williams behalf by Mr. George Macduff, Managing Director of the Carribean Cement Company. The c.if. value of the cement is 2,180 pounds. This gift is intended to be part of Jamaica's effort to assist the British Honduras Government. Wrote Mr. Macduff, "Since the advent of the disastrous hurricane which struck British Honduras on the morning of Oct. 31, Sir William Stephenson, our chairman, has been active in instituting discussions on what we could 43 do to help your Government in its endeavors to assist the British Honduras Government. After careful consideration, Sir William has asked me to make on his behalf a gift of 5000 bags of cement for use by that Government to assist in the reconstruction and repair of damage due to the hurricane. We anticipate that British Honduras will, probably, not be able to arrange for storage at the present time. Accordingly we suggest that the necessary shipping arrangements (the cost of which the Company is prepared to meet) should be made by us in collaboration with the Governor's Secretary whom, we understand, is co-ordinating supplies to British Honduras. Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, Hon. Hugh Frazer, last week Thursday replied to questions in the House of Commons concerning the situation in British Honduras after the devastation of Hurricane Hattie. Mr. Fraser said as far as he had seen, the cost of immediate measures taken will be not less than $3,200,000 and it may well be more. But until the report of the team of specialists presently in British Honduras to examine and advise on measures of rehabitation, there can be no finalization about plans for re- building Belize, where it is clear that a nucleus of a town still exists, Mr. Fraser said. In his reply, Mr. Fraser spoke of the impressive progress made in providing immediate relief to the people whose homes had been destroyed and in re-establishing essential services such as water and electricity. "It is a great credit to all concerned that so much has already been achieved only three weeks after such a wide- spread disaster" he said. And he added, "I would like to pay special tribute to the armed services and civil administration, under the admirable leadership of the Governor, Sir Colin Thornley, and his Ministers, to the United States Navy, to the Red Cross and lastly to the government of Jamaica for its great help and for its coordination of relief measures". Extracts From Government News Letter Bermuda Legislature Sends Financial Assistance His Excellency the Governor, Sir Colin Thornley, has ai a, telegram to the Governor of Bermuda asking him to twavey to the Bermuda Legislature the very grateful thanks of the government and people of British Honduras for their generous gesture in voting $20,000 for relief of the distress caused by the hurricane. The money is being sent to Barclays iBaas to be credited to the British Honduras Hurricane Relief Fund. M9 nites Help: The 'Mennonite Communities in British Honduras are hoping in the rehabilitation work. M.D.S. has sent a team of carpenters. plumbers, from U. S. and Canada and other tech- nicians to the capital to undertake whatever duties they may he assigned. terchanis asked To Clear Goods From Customs: AZ iterchants who are now in a position to restart trading and who had goods consigned to them which were awaiting collection from the Customs warehouses before the Shuri=a-e, or who have reason to believe that such goods have arrived since, are urged by government to get in touch t -Se '-with the appropriate shipping agent and to arrange for the survey and collection of their goods as soon as possible. It is of the greatest importance that all warehouses be eared'-with the shortest possible delay in order that normal offloading and clearance procedures can be resumed as soon a. possible. Overseas Director Praises Local Red Cross Workers: Miss Joan Wittington, Director of Overseas Red Cross Branches, who is now in British Honduras said in an inter- vif yesterday with a B. H. B. S. correspondent that the deastistion caused by Hurricane Hattie is the worst she has ever seen in her life. It is even worse than the damage caused by the air raids during the war, said the Red Cross Director, who flew out of the United Kingdom to this country to direct operations. Asked about her opinion of the work being done by the local Red Cross Branch, Miss Wittington said: "Absolutely superb. The units have been working constantly since the first day after the storm. Many of them were on duty during the storm at shelters and they started kitchens as soon after as possible." Miss Wittington has been to Stann Creek which she dis- cribed as even worse than Belize City. But the Red Cross is doing a splendid job, she added, and the members are in high spirits. Apart from manning three Red Cross Kitchens, the or- ganization is in charge of all clothes distribution. At the kit- chens some 2,600 people are being fed daily. The distribution of blankets is also the responsibility of the Red Cross. On her return from Stann Creek, Miss Wittington had to come by way of Burell Boom. The river was flooded and she and others with her had to wade through muddy water which was waist high for about half a mile. Public Urged To Get Second Anti-Typhoid Injection The Public Health Authorities remind the public that iyphoid is a very dangerous and unpleasant disease. Under the existing insanitary condition an outbreak of this disease is still a threat. In spite of this very precarious position there are many who have not yet received their second innoculation against typhoid. If an epidemic should occur at this time, only those people who have had the full course of the anti- typhoid injections will be fully protected. The public is there- fore urged to get their second anti-typhoid injection now. Page Missing or Unavailable Page Missing or Unavailable IV W E, 1. 1 IV- 19 la BARCLAYS BANK Thia-ts the Barclays Bank building in the background where many p. t, to.k refuge during the hurricane. This is looking over the ral Park Area. In the foreground are citizens looking for something valuable or useful perhaps. (Government Photoi to go. Jo one he felt, cared for him anymore. And then he pleada "please inista, can't you halp me"? We went to sie what was left of his house. It sure wasn't much to start 'f ti rebuild, no roof, the posts and a lot of the siding missing. twisted and split. I promised him we would try. I took my.eltlow workman to see it. They wondered if I thought they coua, perform a miracle as they didn't think so. But we -imas- liveable house out of it again, but was the man thauldal? He had to cry when he said God bless you, and thi i~ ou, God bless you, God bless you, thank you. Some of the jobs seemed so impossible and my men had td-sihaein -the pathetic story behind the scene in order to h, ilasirtd sifficenLly to undertake some of the j- 'b. One job was to fit a two storey house which was leaning almost to a 45 d&aree at one end, no roof, and most of the windows out. ItM e~ ffts posts flat in the mud. BELIZE RESIDENTIAL AREA This ri'al photo of a residential area in Belize, taken by Doug KerIBmly of the Miami Herald, speaks for itself. Hattie's fury wiped the roofs off houses and even pushed them over. It was miraculous that thij death rate wasn't higher than it was. BARCLAYS BANK Barclays Bank overlooking Central Park, Belize, before Hurricane Hattie. (Government Photo) The lady stopped me and asked. "mista, can you please help me to fix my house back". I took a look at the house, and frankly couldn't see how we could. She started like this, you see, she said, "I wash for a living, my husband has deserted me and I have 7 small children to support, I get $3.50 B.H. cur. relief, and I have no money. Can't you please help me? Every- body else has turned me down." As my men saw the job they too thought it was beyond our ability to restore it again. The case was before them, and they felt we should at least try, and so we did. Now she h-s a house with roof and will soon be able to use it, although it's still bare without furniture or anything to put in it. But to see the gratitude of this woman, more then pays for the extra trouble we had. These are the people we are aiming to help, these who are down and stay down unless someone gives them a lift. One more story. It is nearing the time for us to go back home. Yet, the work, it seems has just begun as far as the real need for housing repairs among the poor. This lady was told we could not take up any more jobs but she would not take no for a last answer. Her story went something like this. "I have an invalid husband, and seven children, five live with me and two are in government school. I live in a court alley. Please come over and see where I live. Won't you please build me a little house?" Some one has leased her the lot and we found a little hovel, made of scrap zinc roofing to keep off rain. It was five feet wide, eight feet long and six feet high. This is what she and five children called home. What should I do? I took several of my men to see the house, and they agreed that something should be done. We built her house. I required her to get in writing form, that the owne: would give her the right to build on his property. Which she did, and we or- dered the framing in the meantime from the Mennonite colony Spanish Lookout. We built the sides with metal sides, before we left for home. On and on go the stories and one's heart is moved to see and know the plight and poverty of these people. Some are in- deed a victim of circumstances, while others are in these conditions willfully. It takes a keen sense to know just how much can be done for some of these people. The people of Belize who are Christians, are truly a wonder- ful people to be with. They love the same Lord, and are in- terested in spreading the same Gospel. As I go back to the States I will never forget Belize and the people of British Honduras. Page Missing or Unavailable Stricken (Editorial in The Gleaner, Jamaica) In the midst of the tragedy of British Honduras there must be gratitude. Not just the selfish gratitude, which comes readily to mind, of Jamaica being spared from the devas- tation of this horrendous hurricane; but the gratitude that due to the advance of modern science and technology, Bri- tish Honduras had had sufficient warning to save her people from what would have been one of the world's greatest tragedies. In 1931, flood waters killed 2,500 people when a hurri- cane and tidal wave struck Belize. Thirty years later when an even greater storm has struck the city with 20 successive waves rushing from the sea, fifteen foot high, crashing into the little town, barely 100 have perished though the city has been practically destroyed. Fore-warned by science, the people under a prudent government, had been largely moved to higher ground and into strong highly elevated buildings thus to have their lives spared though their city has been ruined. Belize is a low lying city almost at sea level, the com- mercial centre from which trade in mahogany and pine and chicle is shipped to the world and to which the rivers bring their loads of timber from the hinterland. The citizens cling to it with a fierce pride much no doubt as the brave Ita- lian mountain dwellers cling to the slopes of the volcano Vesuvius. It is their home, carved from the original forests and swamp lands where both land and sea were once fierce with enemies. But now the shallow plain is clear of timber as far as the eve can see; the open riding is skirted with summery cottages on the lovely cays. But all this never- theless is but a fair weather home; whenever the angry sea rises, Belize is threatened. Fortunately it has happened only rarely, but we do believe that now the passion for the old Belize will be stimulated into a desire to build a new town, a safe city, to dredge the outer harbours and raise the level of the land by dumping, which together with sea walls, could be a safeguard for future citizens. That however is not for now. The problem now of course is to bring back to the city, to save the people from pesti- lence and from the disorders consequent upon the complete breakdown of all physical assets and property. Prisoners have had to be let loose, health hazards have been multiplied; stores of clothing and food, and individual losses, have to 53 be made good so that life can be preserved. And order has to be maintained. And so in this immediate task the Gleaner, with the consent and support cf the government, has launched a fund for assistance to the sufferers in Belize, in Stann Creek, in the out-country and on the cays; for people who have mostly lost their all and have now to be preserved and be given the chance to start anew. They will start life anew, with the courage and comfort which generous aid and assistance from overseas from their cousin country, Jamaica and from else- where will furnish in the great sympathy which is the oneness of the brother-hood of man. Honduras Tragedy (Editorial in "Christian", London) Accounts of the enormous damage sustained by much of British Honduras should make us thankful that in this country we are spared such visitations. In Belize, the capital, 20,000 out of a total population of 35,000 are homeless, and the city has been rendered uninhabitable. So great is the devastation that it is seriously suggested that the capital should be removed from the coast into the foothills. The area is threatened with typhoid and other epidemics and there is great need for food as well as medical supplies. Re- lief from the United States and Britain is being organized, and some of it has already reached the area. British Hon- duras is a poor country and that act has made a special appeal to charitable people, as well as to the governments. Tragedy In Honduras (Editorial in Baptist Times, London) Poor Belize! News reports and pictures have graphically described the utter destruction of the capital of British Hon- duras and of Stann Creek by the 200 miles-an-hour Hurri- cane Hattie. With hundreds of people reported dead and thousands homeless the little Colony must begin again to rebuild its life. Even the rubble and wreckage in Belize was "pulverized", wrote one correspondent. Aid on a massive scale will be needed, not just to meet the immediate emergency, but to provide a new capital, houses, hospitals, churches and shops. Hurricane In Honduras (Editorial in Catholic Times, London) Once again, British Honduras and its capital, Belize have been devastated by a hurricane. The country is poor. Its people are good. Under an able Catholic Chief Minister, George Price, steady progress is being made towards self- rule, and eventual independence. Now, disaster has come on 'a terrible scale to those who, in any event, have only too -little cf this world's goods to support them. One can but hope and pray that relief will come very quickly and that the authorities concerned in this country will make every effort to give effective assistance in the shape of grants in aid to the economy of this poor country, which has been torn up by the roots and devastated in a matter almost of minutes. Lord Listowel Asks About B. H. in the British Honduran In the House of Lords last week, in answer to a ques- tion from Lord Listowel, the Earl of Perth. Minister of State, Colonial Affairs said it would be a long time before it would be possible to make any assessment of the damage to proper- ty caused by the hurricane. Lord Listowel asked if the Government was satisfied all steps were being taken to prevent the outbreak of epi- demics. He also asked if, since it seemed unlikely Belize City would be reconstructed on its old site, the Government would consider aiding the rebuilding of the capital. Lord Perth said he was satisfied about the provision of medical personnel and supplies. The Jamaica Government was informing London what was wanted. It was a little early to give any answer about the re- building of Belize, but that would be in the Government's mind in relation to all else that had happened. Here and There (An Appeal) Reports about discourteous vehicle drivers on the muddy streets are so numerous that I appeal to them to be more considerate of pedestrians. I saw one merciless driver splatter a woman pushing a baby pram, from head to foot with mud. 2.098 Still Taking Refuge (From The Belize Billboard) Two thousand and ninety eight homeless persons are still housed in the buildings in which they sought refuge from Hurricane Hattie, according to a census taken at refuge cen- tres last week by Boy Scout Master Fitzroy Lemott. According to the Census there, 37 people at America Club, 16 at the Agricultural Credits Office, 57 in the third floor of Barclays Bank and 65 in the second floor, 76 at the Colonial Band Association, 63 at City Council, 36 at Eden Cinema, seven at the Fire Station, 50 at the Fort George Hotel, 119 at Harvey Hall, 35 at Kingdom Hall, 88 at Liberty Hall, 61 at the Legislative Assembly Chamber, 114 at the Mercy Conv2nt, 48 at the Nazarene Church, 192 at Paslow Building, 12 at the Pallotti Convent, 223 at St. Ignatius, 182 at St. Mary's, 94 at St. Joseph, 94 at Technical C3llege, 198 at Wesley Schools, 34 at Wesley College, 66 at Princess Royal Youth Hostel, 73 at the Y. W. C. A.; 32 at the Havana Hotel, 14 at the Housing and Planning Department, and seven at the Chief Secretary's Office. Today and Tomorrow (by Reginald Brooks) Many people have heard of the activities and exploits of the heroes of the hurricane in high and low places - but little has been said about the heroines who played their part, perhaps with even a greater degree of sacrifice and disregard for personal safety than the men. And these heroines, for the most part were concentrated at the Belize Hospitali, here, as nurses, they braved the fury of the hurricane to save the lives of the patients under their care. So successful were their efforts, that not even a life was lost. Hurricane Hattie struck the hospital with all its fury, and destroyed all of the 16 wards, except one. But as the wards gave way, the nurses and doctors made superhuman efforts to huddle their patients into a safe ward, sometimes only to evacuate it after that too, collapsed. When I saw the state in which the hurricane had left the hospital, I refused to believe that it was possible to have saved bed-ridden patients who were there during the hurri- cane, so I had a talk with Dr. Boleslaw Markowski, Super- intendent of the Hospital, and he confirmed that no one was hurt but he refused to. comment much on the matter. But he gave high praise to the Nursing staff as a whole, whose efforts he said helped to save the lives of th:ir patients. As a civil servant, Dr. Markowski was reserved when I spoke to him, but his whole demeanour seemed to me to express admiration and pride in the accomplishment of the nurses. It would be a pity if the public services beyond the call of duty, rendered by the nurses during the hurricane are not publicly recognized. And it is my hope that an investigation will soon be made to find out what the Hospital Staff did during the hurricane and full recognition be given to the persons responsible for the excellent job done in the Hospital to save the lives of patients. News And Briefs (from Belize and surrounding areas after Hurricane Hattie) Dead Body of Child Found (Belize City, December 7, 1961) The body of a twelve-year-old girl was discovered par- tially decomposed on Tuesday evening by working men at the saw mill yard in Belize City. The child was identified as Sonia Bradley. Her body was burnt on the spot yesterday morning. According to reports, Sonia Bradley was related to Jack Arnold and Elizabeth Lamb, who perished in the hurricane last month. Their bodies had been discovered later. Body Found 12 Days After Hattie Belize Times. The body of Mr. Joseph Reneau an old resident of Wag- ner's Lane was taken from under his house Sunday morning twelve days after Hattie struck Belize. It was reported that Mr. Reneau had locked himself up in the portion of the house he occupied on the night of Hattie and when a neighbour had called to him asking to be let in he replied that he was already locked in and was not opening his door. After hearing that his father had been missing Otis Reneau a resident of Chicago came to Belize and along with others discovered his father's dead body. Man, 69, Survives On Cay For Seventeen Days (Stann Creek Belize Times November 25) Sixty-nine-year-old Mr. Josiah Harris survived on Mid- dle Cay for seventeen days after Hurricane Hattie. Mr. Harris arrived in Stann Creek on the 18th of November. While on the Cay his only food was young coconuts said Mr. Harris, and he had to live in over two feet of water. The old caretaker of Middle Cay said that he had patched up a dory and went to Long Cay. Of the three houses which were standing at Long Cay, none are now there. Mr. Harris has been living on the Cay since 1955. Belize Times November 25 Civil Government Still In Power No Martial Law Enforced Governor (Belize City, November 14) The civil government cf the People's United Party is still the authoritative government of the country and the 4 -w' ) 4- 111' ~u N- FOOD LINE Sentries guard a food queue. It wasn't much of a meal they had yesterday but perhaps they will be able to get something better in four hours or so. It is good to know that foreign relief organizations care and send supplies. (Government Photo) naval and military forces now operating in the country are only here in aid of the civil government, according to Sir Colin Thornley, Governor of Belize Country. The Governor has made this statement to correct any misunderstanding that may exist. He also said that martial law is not, and has never been imposed on the country during this emergency, only a curfew is in force. Government Ministries are now engaged in re-establish- ing the normal activities cf the departments under their control. Belize Times. Today and Tomorrow by Reginald Brooks While distribution of food and clothing is being carried out with efficiency now, and the Police and Volunteer Guard are doing an excellent job of keeping order in the long queues, there is one observation which I would like to make with regard to repeated reports I have been given. Policemen are human beings as much as any other citizen and they have suffered as much, if not more than most citizens. As such they are entitled to receive as much consideration, as far as their families are concerned, as any citizen. Yet, it is apparent that Policemen, who do not have the time to line up the queues, and who cannot give their families the attention they should be given, are being treated as mere cogs in the massive wheels of the Emergency Regulations. One cannot blame the Policemen for the inner bitter feelings they have, which they cannot outwardly express, and taking into consideration the good job they are doing, I strongly recommend that humane consideration should be given to them. 800 Seek Refuge In North Districts (Bill Board November 8) More than 500 persons from Belize have sought refuge in Corozal and 310 in Orange Walk, according to a reliable source. i ! MORE WATER Occupants of a house without a roof, right, move to higher ground. Photo was taken in the early hours after the water subsided. As rains continued for some time after the hurricane, bedding, mattresses, and clothing were spoiled by the soaking. (Uzzaraga Photo) Phtows aknin te earl horsaferthewaer usdd.A a continue fr soe tim aftr thehurricae ednmatess n clothing ~ ~ ~ ~ weesoldbytesaig 5--aag Phto Of the number in Corozal, 434 are receiving aid from Government in the form of a $2 a week for children under 16. In Orange Walk, aid is being given to the 310 persons on the szme basis. But in the last few days, steps have been taken to lessen the amount of aid given, by stopping allowance to those who are gainfully employed such as policemen and their families, and teachers and their families. 5 Children At Corozal Hospital, Parents Unknown Five children are in the Corozal Hospital whose parents are unknown, according to a report from Corozal. The chil- dren are: Marlene Brown, 4 years, from Belize; Dolores Bol, 2 years, believed from Punta Goeda; Alexandra Vasquez, about eleven months, origin unknown; Sylvester Cal, 3 years, Cayo Road; and Manuel Mendcz, 5 years, from Stann Creek. If anyone knows the whereabouts of the parents or guardians, the children can be contacted at the Corozal Hospital. Belize Times. Editorial The Daily Telegram, London Slowly, life is beginning to pulse again in the stricken capital of British Honduras. The energy and spirit with which authorities on the spot are organizing relief are fortified by the knowledge that help is speeding in from all sides. A week after the hurricane the full magnitude of the disaster still cannot be gauged. But the immediate need, as our Special Correspondent stresses in his message today, is for simple human succour: for clothing, blankets, food and medical supplies. This fortunately, is the sort of help that can be promptly given. But when the immediate emergency is over and personal distress has been relieved, Britain will be left with a long-term duty to see the colony on its feet again. The fact that is already well on the way to independence makes no difference to this moral obligation; it will simply mean that the parting gift from the Mother Country may have to be more generous. Even without this visitation British Hon- duras would have needed substantial economic help. Now the first big task to be faced will be the rebuilding of the wrecked capital. Destruction has been so nearly complete that replanning can be undertaken without any inhibition, even as to the site of the new city. Belize affords neither the commercial advantage of a deep-water port nor the elevation that might have saved many lives from seas swept over it by the hurricane. (The British Honduran) Page Missing or Unava able Page Missing or Unavailable Sgt. Winston Cox a member of the Jamaican force said yesterday that the other 55 men here will leave sometime this week. Sgt. Cox, said he found British Hondurans accepting law and order in good spirit, and he regretted that they had to come here at a time when people were passing through strong emotional crisis. "We would like to return to meet the people under normal circumstances." he said. During the first few days they were in Belize, the Ser- geant said they had to sleep on the floor under a leaking roof, but he said his men knew what was happening and were willing to help the people of British Honduras whom they found for the most part, a friendly and likeable people. G.N.F.N. Following Hattie On Monday last, the severely hit firm of Nord's got under way with an assorted line of canned goods, medicines, and materials for clothing. "We had to reduce our staff because of the bad conditions" Mr. Charles Nord Jr. said. "At present, all employees are paid on a weekly basis," he added. Mr. Nord denied as ficticious, reports that his firm was contemplating selling out. "We had plans to operate our machinery and motor section separately before the hurricane." Mr. Nord said. "and since the hurricane, Harley's is being cleared for that purpose." SIn a bulletin issued to its employees recently, the firm said: "We are most anxious to do everything in our power to assist deserving employees in any way we can, but we ask that our position be not overlooked." During the interview, Mr. Nord showed confidence in the ability of the business to bounce back after the disaster, and he expressed faith in the business' future. Bata After Hattie By Robert Taylor In spite of the fact that the Bata Shoe Store on Albert Street was completely looted after Hurricane Hattie, the store was able to open its doors to the public Monday last with a fair amount of footwear for ladies, men and children. The Manager, Mr. Chlup said Friday that this was made possible chiefly through the remarkable cooperation of his staff. "I am impressed with their work and feel proud of them" he said. He added that a few of the girls on his staff had left for the United States since the Hurricane, but he said he would train some new ones, the Bata way, to ensure that the high Bata standard is maintained for the benefit of the community. B.E.C. Following Hattie by Robert Taylor On Monday following Hurricane Hattie, the office staff of the Belize Estate & Produce Co., got moving with no pay-cuts. Approximately 90 percent of the unloading of relief supplies were handled by B.E.C. equipment, and included use of barges, tugs, personnel, supervision, and towage. Meanwhile about 100 men were employed at the sawmill to do cleaning. "All the people working during the emergency were paid the usual rates with overtime pay" Mr. Gordon Roe, B.E.C. shipping officer said. And he produced pay sheets to confirm his statement. And speaking of the damages the Company suffered, the General Manager, Mr. A. M. Hore said, "We suffered substan- tial damage, and it will take months to determine its extent. Even our insurance cannot be cleared yet because of this". On the question of damages, Mr. V. C. Ackroyd, another top B.E.C. employee, said damages included the destruction of pine trees on company's land between Labouring Creek and Cayo. During the pressing days immediately after the hurricane Mr. Hore said the company had set up a kitchen on the lower flat of the office building where company employees .nnc their families were fed good meals. B.H.D. Since Hattie (Belize Billboard) British Honduras distributors, a prominent hardware firm of 77 North Front St. got back into operation two days after Hattie with its usual staff all paid at the usual salaries, accord- ing to Mr. Sonny Fuller the Manager. "We did not experience much looting" Mr. Fuller said. "And now that this hurricane has happened we plan to expand and open a new parts store which will sell parts and accessories for all types of vehicles." The Shell Oil Station, a branch of the BHD, got into operation three days after the hurricane and is selling much needed kerosene at retail prices every day. 64 TIDAL WAVE Looking west from Paslow Building over the canal by the swing bridge just after Hattie. The tidal wave has not yet receded. (Government Photo) Castillo's Ltd. After Hattie by Robert Taylor Two days after Hattie, the firm of Santiago Castillo Ltd. got into operation when thousands of dollars of food were issued to people from its warehouses. Immediately after the hurricane, Mr. Castillo commenced directing his business from his ranch at Orange Walk through his key men, Clive Tucker, Epifano Castillo and Leo Castillo. Mr. Castillo who is now back in Belize and settled, said he now has retail booth selling articles at half price at his New Road warehouse opposite Ahuja's La Sirena Grocery. The business, although a wholesale business, has a variety of articles to offer even at this stage. Some of the employees are on half pay while others are receiving full pay. But Mr. Castillo said he had plans to have everyone on the regular staff as usual as soon as business picks up. Government Considering New Capital (Billboard) A Statement issued by the Government Information Dept. Monday, states: The Government is already giving consideration to the question of establishing a new capital in another part of the country. In the meantime, the immediate issues of building ma- terial available from Government stores will be on a minimal basis in order to stretch the supplies on hand over as many people as possible who are in need of protection against the weather. In view of the consideration which is being given to the establishing of a new capital elsewhere, the Government feels that all householders, in their own interests, should do no more than essential repairs to their buildings at this stage. (November 10, 1961 Bill Board) Oldest Firm Closes Doors Employees of John Harley and Company Ltd. received their last pay envelope Friday, and inside was a note that the firm, one of the oldest in Belize, will not reopen again for business. The note read: "The hurricane and looters, as you know have cleaned out John Harley and Co. Ltd. and shall not be going into business again. In view of this, it is with the greatest regret that this will be the last payment we shall be able to make to you." The Hero of Hurricane Hatlie In a letter to this newspaper Mr. L. D. (Prince Dee) Kemp had high praise for a man whom he called "The Hero of Hurricane Hattie." The man, Arthur Arnold, better known as Banza, was responsible for saving the lives of 18 persons who were trapped in what was left of three houses on Euphrates Ave. and couldn't escape drowning, Mr. Kemp said. Mr. Kemp's story was backed up by Mr. 'Sunt' Trumbach, who witnessed Banza's acts of bravery. Mr. Kemp, and his family who sought refuge at Mr. Gerald Smith's home on Glynn Street along with the Ashby family, Mr. 'Sunt' Trumbach's family and others tells the story in this way: "With the water rising up to about a few inches from the floor of the Smith's house about eight feet from the ground we heard that eighteen persons were in what was left of three houses on Euphrates Avenue, and could not escape drowning. "Shortly after a man with a boy of seven or eight years old on his back was seen trying to swim the 60 or 70 feet to the Smith's home. .4, TO SAFER GROUND Hang on Dearie it won't be long now if only we can make it. A woman takes her child to higher ground. (Photo Mrs. C. Dellinger) NO ENTRY Before Hattie this was a one way street but now it could hardly even be called that. The building will have to be pushed back to again allow circulation. "With floating debris shooting across most of their path like battering rams, there were words of prayer in our hearts that they would make it. After a dive under some debris, there was a separation, but the boy was active and eventually they made it. We hauled the boy in through a window and had a chance to see the rescuer. It was 'Banza.' 'Banza was given a rope which he tied from the Smith's house to what looked like a certain death trap. But 'Banza', with the spirit and ability of the finest specimen of native manhood, made eighteen trips across the death trap and saved about nine children, two pregnant women and other females. "At one stage during his adventurous trips across the rope, 'Banza' caught cramp in the water, but he managed to pull through, even though a man who tried to go to his aid couldn't make it. "Another priceless act cf humanity was Mrs. Gerald's act of providing clothing for the drenched, frightened and ragged eighteen and bedding for the night. "The press should check on this story so tnat the 'Spirit of Banza' can be a public record." Caye Caulker's Recovery After Hattie by Correspondent Caye Caulker, 20 miles north-east of Belize, near the Barrier Reef, was swept by 15-foot waves. After the hurricane only two good houses were left out of over 100. Almost 400 people were homeless and nearly completely wiped out with 14 known dead. There were a few more houses numbering about 8 that were also used as refugee centres during the storm but at best were continually swept by water and badly da- maged. People were in a complete daze for the next two days as their grief and sorrow made them seemingly incapable of dealing with the situation. Meanwhile on the second day in Belize a fisherman from the Caye arrived in his small boat where he immediately spread the word among relatives of the terrible bad, bad, bad disaster there. Upon questioning the man Mr. Ray Auxillou, an Englishman, residing in Belize, thought it was necessary to make a trip out to the Caye and bring back an accurate damage report. He set out, contact- ing relatives of the people on the Caye and soon a small party with a 19 ft. runabout and salt water drowned motor was found. A mechanic from Gordo's worked on the motor feverishly while gasoline was hunted. During the hurry and bustle of preparation a visit to the controlling authority was paid by Auxillou to notify them of the intention to inspect the needs of the people at the Caye and the extent of the damage. Controlling authority turned out to be the Governor who seemed pleased and offered any help. Consequently, a small list of food was obtained from the Marketing Board to be taken out for emergency use. The food turned out to be too much for the small boat and two other island sloops were commandeered at the wharf and the food loaded aboard. The speedboat with Ray Auxillou, Luis Alamina and Ilna Alamina went ahead to organize the reception and distribution of food. Upon arrival the group were met by Constable Bernard Higinio who was informed by Mr. Auxillou that a State of Emergency was declared on the Caye and that he would work under his authority for the time being on direct verbal orders from the Police Commissioner Bruce Taylor in Belize. A meeting of the Village Council was held at the J. P.'s house (best house remaining). The distribution and plans for rehabilitation were dis- cussed and after a little time it was decided to leave things in the hands of the Village Council. However, by the next morning it was apparent that the shock of disaster and great loss of everyone made things difficult. The Council were not reliable to adequately control or agree on what to do, people were looting and there was no spirit of coopera- tion. The Constable and Mr. Auxillou therefore called a public meeting that morning. The terrible situation in which the hurricane had left the whole country was described and the situation at the Cayq was reviewed. Mr. Auxillou, speaking as the Governor's representative, stated he found it necessary to declare 'Martial Law' on the Caye, and in a long speech told the people that they could expect hardly any help from outside, but the best could be attempted, with no promises. He explained how everyone should work together in cooperation with the Village Council who would control all operations answerable to him. Registration groups were formed immediately to list all people on the Caye, by age, name and family. A list of the destitute was made; a list of immediate requirements was also made. The paper work took most of the day. Another meeting was held that night and "volunteer" conscription was organ- ised with the motto "no work no food". Gangs were assigned to the emergency projects in order of priority. There were the gathering and repairing of all water vats, erection of temporary shelters and looking after aid. Five serious hospital cases were sent in by boat to Belize early the next day. Upon returning to Belize, a report was given to the Governor and a list of emergency requirements requested. These were authorized immediately and Mr. Auxillou's auth- ority for representing the Governor's Emergency Hurricane Headquarters was confirmed verbally. A tough time, even with the Governor's written authority was experienced in getting materials, as no respect was shown to the Police guard assigned. It was eventually found necessary to use two armed soldiers; after this was done things worked out smoothly. In two day's time, the Caye had several houses standing and 19 temporary shelters. Now four weeks later, there are almost 50 complete houses, and work has stopped only because materials are lacking. At least 50 houses were swept com- pletely away to sea. After ten days Mr. Auxillou passed the authority over to the Constable through the Governor, still leaving the Village Council in actual charge of operations, as the emer- gency crisis was deemed over, and all operations were now working fairly smoothly. The situation broke down slightly a few days later for a short time, but went back to normal again with the Village Council now working in complete charge. District News (Stann Creek, November 17) (E. A. (Kid) Broaster reporting) Stann Creek: Phillips offshore Oil Drilling Co. had to halt operations when their rig was wrecked by Hattie. Two men were stranded for seventeen days on cayes off Stann Creek following hurricane Hattie. Cipriano Marti- nez survived on Middle Caye for 17 days on cocoanuts and a little flour. His friend Joseph and his dog Joe were stranded on nearby Long Caye. Joseph said that the first puff of Hattie took off the roof of his house and a tree fell across the door. He had to climb out through the top. He lived on cocoanuts seventeen days until he was rescued by the owner of Long Caye. Enrique (Ricky) Robateau was stranded on a small caye near Triangles for five days without water. He was on his way to Belize from the offshore drilling rig in Stann Creek when the hurricane caught him. He was forced to lash himself to a tree to keep from being washed off the caye. His boat was wrecked by Hattie. After five days he was picked up by Helicopter and taken to Stann Creek, then to Belize by the boat Juanita. 18 Dead, 23 Missing In Mullins River (Mullins River, Stann Creek, November 12) The latest casualty figures from Mullins River indicated that 18 people are dead and 23 others are listed as missing. The following are among the dead: Frances Arnold, Carla Bevans, Cynthia Bernhard, Obenir Diaz, Josefa Flowers, Geraldine Garcia, Raymundo Jones, Edith Haynes, Sandra Murillo, Lorna Murillo, Norman Murillo, Winston Maheia, Garrie Manela, Martha Moare, Juanita Pandy, Lesser Pandy, Euzine Tabi, and Norma Murillo. The following people are reported as missing: Mrs. Diza, Lucille Brown and baby, Doris Bernard, Mary Bernard, Eugene Brown, Eric Bernard, Steven Bernard, Elizabeth Gar- butt, Demacia Gonguez, Lloyd Jones, Albert Murillo, Ismay Maheia, Marie Neal, Laverne Pandy. Stann Creek Notes Things are coming back to normal here in Stann Creek and the people are grateful for all the help we have received. Special thanks go out to the doctors and nurses from different countries who worked so hard with the people. We want to express special thanks also to the soldiers who were sent to our aid when the entire town was covered with debris, wiLh their help and under their supervision, the town was quickly cleared up. Late last month, some people from the Town, led by the District Commissioner and the District Representative, decided on Silk Grass as the site to begin to build again. Work is now going on at this site and things are arriving daily. Tents have been erected; a light plant came; and a warehouse has been built. Stann Creek Plans To Evacuate 1,000 People (Belize Billboard) The Stann Creek Disaster Committee has decided to eva- cuate 1,000 people from Stann Creek to a site at Silk Grass Creek, some eight miles from town, it is understood. But the evacuees will only be removed if they are willing. It is felt that the proposed site is an ideal spot as it is on high ground and easy to clear. Besides this, it is situated be- tween Stann Creek and Pomona and is centrally located between the Citrus Company and the B.H. Hercule operations near Mango Creek. Eight Die From Drinking Methylated Spirits For Alcohol Six men and two women have died in Seine Bight through drinking methylated spirits, mistaking it for alcohol. A report from Stann Creek says that four more are in a critical condition. 25 others have drunk from the same mixture but have suffered nothing from it. The Company were celebrating Carib Settlement Day when they began drinking from a 5-gallon can that appeared to contain alcohol. The can had been found floating after the hurricane. A police boat from Stann Creek arrived in Seine Bight on Wednesday night to find six of the victims already dead. One died on the way to Stann Creek and the other passed away in the Stann Creek hospital. Those dead are: Apolonia Rodriguez, Gregoria Thomas, Egbert Augustine, Leo Rodrigues, John Lopez, Bernardino Moreira, Victoriano Augustine and Peter Flores. The serious- ly ill are: Bridget Flores, Archangel Polonio, Alegandro Lam- by and Theophila Nunez. A spokesman from the village says that most of the people who died because of the wood alcohol were people who do not normally consume alcohol. It was just the festive spirit that caused them to drink. Wood alcohol has been taking its toll in Belize City also as five persons have died in the city under similar circum- stances since the hurricane. Stann Creek After Hattie (by E. A. (Kid) Broaster) There is a great sign of hope here in Stann Creek as the town now has lights and people have been working since the day following the hurricane to clean up their town. The soldiers took the lead in this matter, and the civilians pitched in behind with such zeal that one can safely predict that this town will be back to normal very soon. Here in Stann Creek, a coupon system is being used that Belize might copy to good advantage. Everyone who is working gets a coupon worth $2 a day. No work, no coupon, and the people are responding willingly to this idea. P. W. D. foreman Ralph Burke said when he arrived here, he found the town in a very bad state, but after a conference with the disaster committee, things began moving with amazing speed. The Committee appointed Mr. Burke Director of Works, and he organized work gangs consisting of work captains and foremen, who are doing an amazing job. A valuable addition to the Disaster Committee is Lieute- nant Smith, of the Royal Engineers, who arrived here Monday. Lieutenant Smith is doing a wonderful job. Stann Creek, which was hit hard, is now a tent town. I live in one of these tents now. The Disaster Committee held a meeting behind closed doors last night, and I was unable to attend but I understand that certain reports were given which in effect said that water on the South side of the Town rose to 11 feet and some of the people were forced to hold on to trees to save them- selves. A family of 11 was saved by holding on to an orange tree. And about seventy people saved their lives by holding on to a tamarind tree. The whole town is in shambles and almost everyone is homeless, but the people are determined to clear their town. Work on Phillips off-shore drilling operations have come to a stand-still. It is understood that most of their equipment was destroyed. Rev. W. G. Leslie of the Assembly of God Church has been assigned to take care of the aged, the invalid and the disabled. He has under his care about 115 persons. This gentleman is doing a great job, even after the suffer- ing he went through during the hurricane. After the church was demolished, he had to swim with a seven-year-old girl until he found a refuge. Dissatisfied with this one act of bravery, Rev. Leslie continued to aid and assist many other people who would have otherwise drowned. Sittee River In British Honduras? by Reginald Brooks They say that out of the 115 houses in that village before the hurricane, 101 were totally destroyed, and the 14 left standing are partly destroyed, including the Police Station which had its roof blown off and the ceiling caved in. After the hurricane, members of the Village Council were so shocked by the complete destruction caused to the 'illage that they were totally inactive and P.C. 100 Blease had to take command of the situation. One villager said that P. C. Blease deputized Frank Arnold as a Police Constable, and Arnold walked the five miles to Kendal where he got a Land Rover from Mr. John Ramos to take him to Stann Creek. At Stann Creek, he reported Sittee's situation to the District Commissioner Mr. Sabido and to Police Inspector Arthur Adolphus. Three persons died in Sittee, as a result of a building falling on them. The dead are: James Kelly, 85, the father of Cpl. Kelly and Walter Kelly, 21, Cpl. Kelly's nephew. A nine-year-old boy, Levi Coleman, who suffered a punctured bladder when the same building fell, died in Stann Creek three days after. The morale of the villagers in this little village has been exceptionally high throughout the entire emergency, and they have given every cooperation and support to the Police. Special mention should be made of Mr. Calbert Reynolds who placed his grocery at the disposal of the villagers, distributing food and clothing. The first outside aid came from Stann Creek by M.V. Rio Dulce, which carried food supplies, then the U.S. Navy brought in food, medicines and doctors the following day. Dr. Flynn and Dr. Heap, along with Sgt. Evans, a medical orderly, were also there to give anti-typhoid inocu- lations. The H.M.S. Londondery also arrived with food, and Col. Hall of the Worcestershire Regiment who visited the village, expressed satisfaction at the efforts to clean up the village. Other visitors to the village were the Stann Creek District Commissioner Mr. Sabido and Inspector of Police Arthur Adolphus. As far as the first weeks after the hurricane are concern- ed the villagers have expressed their complete satisfaction of the aid they recieved. Premier Visits Mullins River by Fitroy Lemott (Belize Times Belize City December 12) Yet another decomposed body was found in Mullins River over the weekend, bringing the unofficial death toll in the village to 43. Two bodies are reported to have been found last week. The body, believed to be that of a man, was found a mile from the village on Saturday, half an hour before the Premier of Belize, the Hon. George Price arrived in Mullins River on a tour of the area, his first since hurricane Hattie. The Premier was accompanied by Councillor Fred Wesby and Councillor Anthony Meighan. Of the 70 houses existing before the hurricane, three are standing minus some roofing, yet they sheltered over 50 of the 234 people in the village. Seventeen people, including nine children survived in the Police Station's attic, and watched the water rising to less than a foot of the ceiling of the two storey building. Thirty-five people, including 28 chil- dren rescued in the Roman Catholic teacher's quarters and church, experienced similar conditions. Those in the quarters had to break through the wallboard ceiling to rescue in the attic. A woman was moved to tears when she related her desperate, futile attempt to save her only son. To save herself, when the water reached her neck, she had to release her son, whose body was later found and burned. A man related how he was thrown out of the house when it fell in and the 15 to 18-foot wave landed him a mile from the village. During the lull, he made his way back to the village, only to return to half that distance later being too exhausted and weak to fight the wind and waves. Most of the homeless in Mullins River have built tempo- rary shelters and are determined to rebuild their village. They have expressed appreciation for the speedy way m which aid was sent to them soon after the storm, when the Premier diverted a boat destined for the capital from Guate- mala with medical supplies and food. Belize Times Hattieville After Hattie Reorganization Never before in the history of the country of Belize have we experienced such a disastrous occurrence as Hur- ricanne Hattie. Its disruptive force uprooted an orderly scheme of life that was only just beginning to take hold in our City after it was nearly destroyed thirty years ago in an- other hurricane. Hattie left in its wake a rage of destruction property destroyed, homes disappeared, and lives lost. For those who have life left and hope, and even those who have ceased to hope we have a job to do. We have our City to build back, our homes to re-order. Positive steps have been taken in this regard under the co-ordination of Mr. Dan Milan of New Orleans and with the help of the Belize City Council, Housing and Planning Department, the ICA, the Corps of Royal Engineers and the Jamaica Housing and Planning Department and others - with Government's direction, they are hoping to erect temporary shelters at Hector Creek, 16 miles on the Belize Cayo Road to accommodate the stricken families. The shelters will be built on National lands, the most suitable high lands nearest to the City. This area is about 15 feet above sea level and has good water supply. It is proposed that in each. building there will be sixty family units measuring fifteen feet by ten feet. There will be a com- munity kitchen, a washroom and a latrine. In time about fifty of these houses will be built and the housing problems of about 240 families, or over 1,000 people will be temporarily relieved. When these shelters are completed, the real work will only just have begun. We will be faced with the task of building a City. The most sensible thing will be to build on higher ground. And if this is decided the call will go out for pioneers, who are prepared to bear the brunt of the building scheme. It won't be easy; but the fate of Belizean generations is at stake. Hattieville: Name of Refugee Housing project at Mile 16 Tranfers of Refugees Will Begin Today (Belize Times Press) Belize City, Nov. 28 The proposed name for the tem- porary Refugee Housing project at Mile 16 on the Belize- Cayo Road is HATTIEVILLE. This was a suggestion which originated with the workers and has the approval of the 77 authorities in charge of the work. A well sunk on the site this morning produced clear water which will be able to provide the whole site with running water for all purposes. Yesterday morning a group of press and radio personnel visited the site with the Premier of Belize, the Hon. George Price, who announced that the first phase of the transfer of refugees from Belize City to Hattieville is to begin today. He explained that the first group will comprise mostly the families of workers on the site. This will be very conve- nient for workers as they will not have to be travelling to and from the city in the mornings and evenings. After only twenty one days of actual construction work, eight units, consisting of 60 family apartments each, are near- ing completion, while two others were being laid out yes- terday. A temporary police station is also going up. The Premier, Mr. Milan, who is giving voluntary ser- vice as Director and Coordinator, and Mr. Ray Ysaguirre, General Superintendent of Construction, explained to the visiting party that all necessary facilities will be provided for refugees. These include a community kitchen under the supervision of the Salvation Army, public toilets and elec- tric lights. They also explained that plans are being made to provide the project with a chapel where services may be held by the different religious denominations, a common reading room and other social facilities. A commissary will also be estab- lished there for the people to purchase whatever they need. "The Truth Shall Make You Free" (Editorial) A few minutes of driving takes you from the capital city-wrecked and disillusioning spot-to Hattieville, a haven for refugees sixteen miles to the west. It is indeed amazing to consider what those 120 workers have done in Hattieville during the past twenty one days since they have been work- ing on the project. Bouyed and encouraged by the premier of Belize, to whom Hattieville means a lot, those workers have put themselves to the grind and produced results that might startle themselves. For thousands of people who saw their hopes and future dashed to the ground with the winds of Hurricane Hattie; their homes destroyed by the same finger of fate Hattieville will be another beginning. This little community, sixteen miles away from wreck and ruin, will be an inspiration for our homeless to build again. What little measure of security these temporary shelters will offer to the refugees who will start life again there will contribute enormously in raising the mo- rale of Belizeans. Hattieville is a standing proof that there is still a lot left for us. Hattieville will begin to make us forget hated Hattie. 112 Workers Work Along With Royal Engineers At Mile 16. There are 112 workers who are working along with sol- diers of the Royal Engineers in the construction of seven buil- dings for refugees from Belize at Mile 16 on the Belize-Cayo Road, according to Lorenzo Benguche, G. W. D. U. National Organizer. Mr. Benuche, who visited the proposed refugees site Friday, said water in the area is good and the workers seemed happy in their employment. It is understood that 500 families from Belize will be rehabilitated at the new site. Refugees Moved To Hattieville It was moving day yesterday afternoon for thirty-four families, consisting of 150 persons, who had sought refuge in three shelters since Hurricane Hattie. Twenty-four of the families had sought shelter in Paslow Building, four at the Privy Council and six at the Mercy Con- vent. And they were being moved to the new temporary hous- ing site at Hattieville, at Mile 16 on the Belize-Hector Creek Road. The moving operations were being conducted under the supervision of Mr. George McKesey. Page Missing or Unavailable Looting Curfew Magistrate Orders "The Whip" B.B. Dec. 6 City Magistrate Simeon Hassock yesterday ordered "The Whip" for a boy convicted of stealing a saw. "It is time that we start using "The Whip" Mr. Hassock said in passing sentence. The boy, a 14-year old was sentenced to ten strokes. Norman Smith, 33, was sentenced to 6 months imprison- ment for stealing three tires. Both persons were convicted on charges arising out of looting at the Belize Supply Co. midday yesterday. The extent of looting was estimated at more than a thou- sand dollars. What, still looting? Teenagers Dismissed in Court (November 16 Bill Board) Two teenager boys were dismissed in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning because the police failed to make the proper charges against them. They were charged for loot- ing, when in the opinion of Magistrate Hassock the charge should have been unlawful possession. The two boys who were arrested at the Police Station were found in possession of about 10 yards of cloth and a package of cheese. They claimed that they had been given the articles at the Queen's warehouse by a man. But the Magistrate cautioned them against accepting anything from anyone unless they were sure that person was the owner or had the authority to give them the articles. "Ordinarily," Mr. Hassock said, "if the Police had brought the charge as they should, I would have ordered that both of you be thrashed. You can go now but don't come back here again." Belize Supply Co. Looted? Nov. 19 B.B. First report on any quantity of cash loot- ed came from the Belize Supply Co., a hardware store of Regent Street, where a safe was opened during or imme- diately after the hurricane and the sum of $2,500 stolen. Re- cords in the safe were apparently dashed away. The manage- ment of the store is offering a reward for the persons finding and delivering a black looseleaf ledger with Weis Fricker and Ford Motor Company insignias inside. 81 Belize Supply Looted December 8 (Bill Board) by Robert Taylor The Belize Supply Co. was again looted midday Tuesday, and goods amounting to more than $1,000 were taken away by looters, according to Mr. James Nisbet, the manager. "Even our records are in a worse state than they were immediately after the hurricane, after the looters got through," Mr. Nisbet said. "I actually had to take away a personal file to the mana- ger of our company, from a little girl who was one of some 100 people I found looting the store when I arrived." Tires, light plant parts and office equipment are among the articles which were looted. As a result of the looting, the Police and Volunteer Guard have had to post a round-the-clock riot squad in the vicinity to protect private property. (Injustice) The experience of the Belize Supply Co. in the question of looting, is one that should set every well behaved person thinking. This looting goes down in our re- cords as the most inhuman act committed in the history of this country. (The Company) This company has served the community for many years with a line of much-needed agricultural equip- ment, and controlled some commodities in this field which are not available in other firms. Besides this, the company stocked a fashionable line of yachting and fishing equipment. (Self Defence) In self defence, it is understood that the firm's management are carrying loaded revolvers now. (Public Opinion) Public opinions is that looters caught in any second looting attempt should be made to suffer the full penalty of the law. The Curfew After the hurricane people in Belize were in a state of turmoil and the Police Force could not be considered adequate during this state of emergency. Even in the po- lice force some had lost their homes, others had lost their loved ones, and others their uniforms. Is it therefore not a wonder that the police force itself felt somewhat in a turmoil, and were not in a state to cope with extra ordinary conditions brought about by the hurri- cane and tidal wave? We must further consider that all con- victs in the prison were let out, so that they also might have a chance to live, where as had they been kept in cap- tivity many of them would have drowned from the tidal wave. (As happened with the two big jaguars that were kept in big cages near the Belize canal.-after the tidal wave they were seen floating amongst the debris). Some of these convicts made efficient veteran ring lead- ers for raiders. It was under this state of emergency that the Governor was forced to call on the army to assist in restoring order in the city of Belize. Martial law was actually never proclaimed by the Government as we will read in "News and Briefs after Hattie", but the state of martial law existed, due to the emergency measures that had to be taken by Government. It was therefore in line for the government to call a curfew, to be in a better position to curb with violence, looting and other disorders which may have arisen through lack of united authority. The curfew meant restricted movements for most indivi- duals who were about during late evening or especially so during night time. No person was allowed to move about after 7:00 p.m. without a special permit issued by an ap- pointed police officer. The curfew was only so early a few days and then order was restored and people responded, the time was shifted to 9:00 p.m. and a little later to 11:00 p.m. Fifteen minutes before the mentioned time the fire alarm siren wailed out its warning that time was nearly up and at the exact time again two or three separate warnings were given by the siren and every one without his special per- mission who was found wandering about was prosecuted by the law. The author had the experience of coming in late one night without being able to locate a proper hotel for the night. We therefore felt it proper to get our special permit from the police office before we went on to our hotel. CITRUS TREES The citrus trees stood out the hurricane quite well but the crop for the most part was lost for the year. Several thousand acres were hit. (Photo W. Ford Young) COCONUT TREES Although Cayo suffered less than Belize or Stann Creek, this patch of coconuts has been ruined on the farm of Frank Norris near Cayo. (Photo W. Ford Young) Rationing of Donations Rations Stopped The issue of rations to employed persons has discontinued with effect from the issue made on November 22, a Govern- ment notice states yesterday. One more week of free rations will be issued to unemployed persons, but after Nov. 29 ra- tions will only be issued to persons who can prove that they are unable to buy their own food. This is Cayo Small farmers have suffered tremendously as a result of damages done by Hurricane Hattie and the flooding of the rivers following the hurricane. All the plantations have been damaged, and if substantial relief is not forthcoming the people face months of starvation. Flood waters rose to as much as 45 feet in some places and in the lower residential areas in Cayo Town itself there was as much as 9 feet of water. Hon. Hector Silva, our District representative, said at a public meeting that the people of Cayo must not expect any help from Government for repairs and for food, because Belize and Stann Creek suffered more than we did. But the Good Lord smiled on us and sent two helicopters to us with food, water and clothing. Unfortunately little of these things reached the people who needed them most. Helicopters have been coming here daily since the third day after Hattie, with food and medicines. Some people in the original committee have dropped out and the District Commissioner, Mr. Ramon Ramirez has taken over. He is now doing a fair job with the help of the Volun- teer Guard and the Police. Free Food Rations Stopped Belize City, Nov. 29 Government has decided that those who are in a position to pay for their food rations should do so immediately. A release from the temporary Administration building at Fort George Hotel says that rations to all employed persons and their dependents and to those in receipt of pensions have ceased with the rations for the week which began last Wednesday, the 22nd of November. This means that all Civil Servants, teachers, pensioners, banks and store employees, domestics, Government and City Council manual workers and other employees, those self-em- ployed, etc. will receive no more free rations. Continued Assistance: Those who are not employed will be issued one additional week's rations. After that food at Government's expense will only be provided for families who state their case for assis- tance to the Minister of Local Government. Social Welfare and Co-operatives, Hon. Louis S. Sylvester. All adult citizens, who are heads of families and believe that they have just claim to receive rations should register their names at the following points:- 1. Carrie Collins' Residence corner Lancaster and Castle Streets. 2. Belize City Council 3. Snow Kist, Albert Street (Near Johnny Fuller's Gro- cery Store) 4. St. Ignatius School. Letters to the Editor Lines - But Thanks Editor, Belize Times, Sir, If I never see a queue again in my life, it will not be missed. The stricken people of Belize City are deeply grate- ful to all who have helped to relieve our lot in this disas- ter. The lines may be long; but our gratitude exceeds them. Citizen (Belize City) Hurricane Season of 1961 GORDON E. DUNN & STAFF U.S. Weather Bureau Office, Miami, Fla. General Summary While the number of tropical cyclones was exactly the annual aver- age for the last three decades, the hurricane season of 1961 was re- markable for the lack of activity June through August and the very high cyclone frequency of September through November, also for the large number of storms of full hurricane intensity eight. Indeed, the number could well be nine, or even ten, since Gerda, during a period when it was still regarded as partly tropical, was attended by hurricane- force winds at the Texas Towers off the New England coast. Ships also reported 65-kt. winds in Inga on one or two occasions. Previously in only eight years since 1900 had there been as many as eight hurricanes in the Atlantic area (1.) Only one tropical cyclone developed prior to September. Activity in the tropical Atlantic in August was at a mini- mum and this was the third consecutive August with subnormal tropical cyclone frequency. Hurricanes occurred over all portions of the Atlantic and there was no concentrated area for activity (fig. 1). According to Tisdale (2), there was a pronounced reversal in the general circulation from August to September with the strong ridge over western North America being replaced by a deep trough. Concomitant with this trough development, strong anticyclogenesis took place over eastern North America with a positive height departure of 180 feet at 700 mb. over Maine. The pattern of the height anomaly over the Atlantic at this level resembled the circulation features found by Ballenzweig (3) to be favorable for tropical cyclone development in the eastern Atlantic, and four hurricanes in succession developed in this area during the first half of the month. On September 11 these four were simultaneously of full hurricane intensity in the Atlantic area, the first time this is known to have occurred. Damage and fatality statistics are shown in table 1. Some of the weather satellite potential in hurricane detection and tracking was demonstrated in 1961. The track of Anna (fig. 1) was begun at 60 degrees W. late on July 19. However, TIROS III at 0940 EST, July 17, at about 12 degrees N., 43 degrees W. showed that at least a depression was present (fig. 2). The line extending eastward from the cloud mass is probably the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITC). (All these satellite pictures are printed so that higher latitudes are toward the top of the picture.) Hurricane Anna four days later is shown in figure 3. The northern coast of South America and the Gulf of Maricaibo are shown south of the storm and Panama and Costa Rica can be seen at the lower left of the picture somewhat distorted by the angle. The classical spiral band structure of a hurricane is shown in Betsy on September 8 shortly after it began a sharp turn to the north- east (fig. 4). A TIROS picture of unusually large hurricane Carla is shown in figure 5. The center position of the hurricane was indicated by the satellite as near as 26 degrees N., 95 degrees W. The actual center position was approximately 27 degrees N. Hurricane Debbie on Septem- ber 10 is shown in figure 7. This storm was first picked up in the Cape Verde Islands. Since it could not be reached by reconnaissance planes, its movement was forecast on the basis of climatology. The satel- lite picture on the 10th indicated that there had been a much larger I~- pI adii.~~ %.10 ~ A -- BIUIHENU AAA ,ud 884 mm19 nsl= mus~ b" 'R ri f- ......... 88L~\ ~ N ',' ), *- N \ J 1 9*19 994 ~~N... NOTATL-f!I TROPM CICLOSES 9g 992 --- 94 97a9 I I M9r7 5 gas: F 7 7 991~ q177-.. 9 999 ... 1004"~ 1005 4 0 68 96 3 969 *. SA 0 . .. ..A. X - Fiouaz 1.-North Atlantic tropical cyclones of 1961. Figure 2-Satellite photograph made at 0940 EST, July 17, 1981. The cloud mass in middle extreme left (approximately 12 N., 430 W.) is believed to be in an early stage of hurricane Anna. In this and the following satellite pictures, the frame is oriented so that higher latitudes are toward the top of the picture. northward component of motion than indicated by climatology. The ex- istence of Esther was not confirmed by reconnaissance until September 12. However, as early as 1412 EST, September 10, TIROS III strongly indicated the existence of a tropical cyclone (fig. 2). Indeed, it seems likely that it may have been of full hurricane intensity at this time. It does not appear that it will be difficult to differentiate between the cloud masses associated with upper troposphere vortices and those accompanying tropical cyclones. Thus, the satellite without doubt is al- ready an excellent detection tool. The center can usually be located with- in 2 degrees. The more sophisticated weather satellites planned should reduce the average error considerably. 2. Individual Tropical Cyclones Hurricane Anna, July 19-24 Anna, the first tropical cyclone of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, developed a short distance east of the Windward Islands on the evening of July 19. An area of suspicion was first noted well to the east on July 17 as Navy reconnaissance reported an extensive area of strong radar echoes between 14 degrees 16 degrees NM and 50 degrees 55 degrees W. Shipping in the area also reported numerous showers with winds generally light and variable. TIROS showed the principal concentration of weather near 12 degrees N., 43 Degrees W. (fig. 2). During the 18th and 19th the ITC shifted well north of its normal position and cyclogenesis probably 90 Figure 3. -Hurricane Anna at 1048 EST, July 21, at approximately 14.10 N., 72.40 W. The northern coast of South America and the Gulf of Maricaibo and Isthmus of Panama can be seen south and southwest of the cloud mass. occurred at its intersection with the easterly wave first noted by Navy aircraft on the 17th. Following reports from the island of Grenada, indicating heavy squalls with gusts to 50 m.p.h. and pressure of 1002 mb. around mid- night local time on the 19th, reconnaissance aircraft located Anna in the extreme southeastern Caribbean some 75 miles north of the Venezuelan coast on the morning of July 20. By afternoon winds had increased to slightly over hurricane force. From its inception, Anna maintained a course slightly north of due west on its entire track through the Caribbean Sea with a forward speed between 15 and 23 m.p.h. and with lowest pressure 976 mb. (28.62 inches) on the 22nd. On the 23rd the center skirted the extreme northeastern coast of Honduras, then passed westward into the moun- tains of southern British Honduras the next morning. Since Anna's track was at an unusually low latitude, upper-air data gave little indication of a hurricane. However, at 200 mb. a well- developed anticylone was centered to the northeast of Anna and main- tained this same relative position as the storm moved through the Caribbean. Operating as an efficient outflow mechanism, this anti-cy- clone played an important part in Anna's development and maintenance. This relationship of the two dependent systems could occur only in a deep easterly circulation such as existed over the Caribbean during this period, and may explain why the size and intensity of Anna remained so static. Some minor damage occurred at Trinidad and Grenada, but there were no casualties. Considerable damage was reported along the extreme northern Honduras coast with several hundred houses damaged or de- stroyed, and many plantations suffered heavy damage to fruit trees. One death and a dozen injuries were reported from Trujillo and Bay Islands. More than 5,000 coconut trees were blown down on Utila, a small island off the Honduras coast directly in the path of Anna. No official reports have been received from British Honduras, although un- official information indicated damage was rather extensive at Punta Gorda in the extreme southeast. The center of Anna moved inland over a sparsely settled area. Hurricane Carla, September 3 15. Somewhat above normal shower activity was evident in the eastern Caribbean as early as Sep. 1, apparently associated with a weak perturbation in the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The first indication of intensification and a closed circulation was noted on the 0700 EST September 3 surface chart and abnormal pressure and shower activity were mentioned in the tropical weather summary on that date. An anticyclone in the upper troposphere over the Caribbean was located in a position which provided an ef- ficient outflow from the top of the disturbance. At 0700 EST on September 4 the circulation had increased to de- pression intensity (winds 32 to 38 m.p.h.) and the light north-northeast wind at San Andres Island the evening before had shifted to westerly 12 m.p.h. and the barometer, while still below normal, had risen slightly. At 1100 EST, the Miami hurricane center prepared the first bulletin on the storm. At 2000 EST the same day, following aircraft reconnaissance, 'Mr.. I' Figure 4. Hurricane Betsy as seen by TIROS III at 1515 EST, September 8, 1961, showing classical spiral structure. The center is at about 360 N., 590 W., or 900 miles east of Virginia. 92 Hurricane Cara, a very large storm, 1730 EST, September 10, 1961 at approximately 260 N., 950 W. the first formal advisory was issued with a forecast for an increase to storm intensity which was attained by 0500 the following morning. During the next several days Carla continued a slow but remark- ably steady intensification reaching hurricane force on the morning of the 6th and its lowest central pressure (931 mb.) on the afternoon of the 11th. Upper-air data at the 200-mb. level vividly illustrate the upper troposphere outflow from Carla during its deepening stage. The center of Carla was under surveillance for some 48 hours by three land-based radars located at Brownsville, Galveston, and Lake Charles. All radars showed a strong cycloidal track during the period preceding landfall (4). The New Orleans hurricane center described Carla as one of the largest, most intense and destructive hurricanes ever to strike the United States Gulf coast. Carla's center moved inland over the Port O'Connor-Port Lavaca area on the central Texas coast during the after- noon of September 11th. Sustained hurricane force winds were reported from Corpus Christi to Galveston and hurricane gusts were felt along almost the entire length of Texas coast. High tides began affecting the upper Texas coast on September 8 and waves and tides continued to batter the Texas coast with ever increasing fury until the center moved inland three days later. Highest tides were 16.6 feet MSL at Port Lavaca, 14.5 feet MSL at Port O'Connor, 15.2 feet MSL at Matagorda, and 14.8 feet MSL on the upper 93 Houston ship channel. A high water line varying from 15.7 to 22.0 feet MSL was established from the debris near the head of Lavaca Bay. However, this includes an undetermined amount of wave uprush and must be an overestimation of the still-water level in the area of the observation. The unusually slow movement of 6 to 9 m.p.h. resulted in exceptionally prolonged hurricane conditions. Peak gusts of 175 m.p.h. were estimated at Port Lavaca. A gust of 153 m.p.h. was observed on the anemometer of the Bauer Dredging Co. before the instrument failed. The lowest reported pressure at Port Lavaca was 27.62 inches (935 mb.) and it remained at that value from 1545 to 1735 CST. Available information indicates the needle was below the scale during that period. Total damage in Texas was estimated at $300 million, two-thirds to property and one-third to crops. Fatalities were 34 in Texas, 6 in Louisiana, 5 in Kansas, and 1 in Missouri. Of the 34 dead in Texas 8 were killed in a tornado which swept across Galveston from the Gulf as the hurricane there was subsiding. Eight tornadoes in all were associated with Carla in Texas and 10 in Louisiana. Persons injured in Texas totaled 465; 1,915 homes, 568 farm buildings, and 415 other buildings, and 1,219 other buildings received major damage; and 43, 325 homes, 4,238 farm buildings, and 9,268 other buildings received mi- nor damage. Timely and accurate hurricane advisories resulted in the largest evacuation of persons from danger areas in the Nation's history. An estimated 350,000 persons fled inland from the Texas and Louisiana coastal areas. This evacuation was responsible for the comparatively low death toll. In September 1900 some 6,000 persons died, mostly from drowning, in the well-remembered Galveston hurricane. Hurricane Frances, September 30 October 10. Although there were slight indications of a disturbed area east of the Antilles as early as September 28, it was not until the morning of the 30th that aircraft reconnaissance confirmed the development of tropical storm Frances. On this date the storm was very poorly organized with a sea level pressure no lower than 1005 mb. (29.68 inches). Tropical storm Frances passed between the islands of Marie Ga- lante and Guadeloupe, French Antilles, between 0000 and 0100 EST on October 1, at 0100 EST, the Netherlands steamship Viajero near 16.4 degrees N., 60.8 degrees W., just off the island of La Desirade, French Antilles, reported 60-kt winds from 120 degrees during a heavy squall. At 0230 EST an amateur radio operator at Guadeloupe reported wind gusting to 50 to 60 m.p.h. from the south. In the passage from Guadeloupe, French Antilles, to Dominica, West Indies Federation, it appears that the wind field was completely distorted by the 6,000-foot mountains on Dominica and the 5,000-foot range on Guadeloupe. This occasionally happens to tropical storms pass- ing between or over these two islands while in the developmental stage. Frances never recovered its earlier intensity while in the Caribbean. Indeed, it was here that forecasters were confronted with a most dif- ficult problem. Reconnaissance planes were able to follow an area of weather and relative calm moving westward, while other planes were Figure 6. Trace from Dines anemometer, Stanley Field, British Honduras, during passage of Hurricane Hattie. BAROGRAM or RECORD of PRESSURE MONDAY 30th/ TUESDAY Sst / WEDNESDAY 1st THURSDAY 2nd Mb IIHT MNUT Mb 1 1 I t2 tO i0 4 14 2 t 20 9 4 1 t2 to 0 4 4 J2 It C050 1040 1040 to03o 030 T 1020 1020 -J 10 11 111011110 IN 10oo I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I lot o I F" I I00 I I I I I I I I 11L00 990 990 I90 -:980 |970 970 90 \ STATION: STANLEY FIELD FROM MONDAY: S3I. OCT. 196t h BRITISH HONDURAS TO THURSDAY: and. NOV 1961 Figure 7. -Barograph trace at Stanley Field, Belize, British Honduras during passage .of hurricane Ilattie. tracking a very weak circulation moving north-westward toward the extreme eastern portion of Hispaniola. The latter turned out to be most important and the one that eventually intensified. The absence of a good divergence field at high levels was noted during this period and perhaps this was the paramount reason for the slow development and the disorganized state of the storm. Frances moved just to the west of Bermuda on October 6, then threatened Maine on October 8. It later made an abrupt turn to the right and dissipated over Nova Scotia. The lowest sea level pressure reported was 948 mb. (27.99 inches) which is in good agreement with the maximum winds estimated at 110 kt. (127 m.p.h.). The maximum intensity occurred when the hur- ricane was west and northwest of Bermuda and gales were reported throughout the islands at this time. As it turned out, flooding along the south coastal plain of Puerto Rico caused more damage than at any place along the entire path, mainly to roads and bridges. There has been no loss of life reported in connection with Frances. Tropical Storm Gerda, October 16-22. Several days before tropi- cal storm Gerda developed, a Navy reconnaissance aircraft investigated an easterly wave in the eastern Caribbean, finding widespread shower activity and some evidence of a weak circulation. However, winds were not strong, generally less than 25 m.p.h. The wave continued slowly westward and began to show evidence of intensification the night of the 15th with pressures dropping in the central Caribbean and heavy rain beginning over Jamaica and eastern Cuba. By the morning of the 16th, pressure at Kingston had dropped to 1005 mb. with winds both at the surface and aloft indicating .a circulation with the center a short distance to the north of Jamaica. The poorly organized disturbance moved slowly northward across central Cuba, thence northeastward through the western Bahamas on the 18th with slow deepening but winds still only 25 to 40 m. p. h. in scattered squalls. North of the Ba- hamas, reconnaissance aircraft found winds up to 60 m.p.h. on the morning of the 19th although the storm still remained poorly organized with a large center and no evidence of a wall cloud. Gerda moved north-northeastward to a position just off Nantucket on the 20th reaching its maximum intensity at that time. Texas To- wers off the Massachusetts coast reported whole gale winds, occasionally 96 sive amounts with flash flooding quite common over the more moun- tainous sections of these areas. Damage through the New England area was about the same as that from a typical wintertime northeaster. The strong winds reported by the Texas Towers did not occur on the coast where 30 to 50 m.p.h. were the strongest winds reported. Hurricane Hattie, October 27-31. Hurricane Hattie was the killer storm of the 1961 hurricane season, although property damage was much greater in Carla. Approximately 275 people perished in Hattie. Not since hurricane Janet, 1955, has a storm inflicted so much damage in the Yucatan Peninsula region. of hurricane force for short periods. From this position Gerda turned to a- east-northeastward course gradually accelerating and becoming extra-tropical on the 21st. Although Gerda had most of the characteristics of a tropical storm at low levels, conditions in the upper troposphere were not favorable for strong deepening. Reconnaissance aircraft did not report any indication of wall cloud formation or spiral bands at any time during the course of the storm. Even at the time of the strong winds at the Texas Towers, an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft very near their location reported winds of only 10 kt. at 700 mb. A low-level injection of polar air into Gerda was occurring at this time and the circulation apparent- ly was quite shallow. Damage from Gerda was not heavy although according to press reports information was received from eastern Cuba of extensive flood- ing resulting in seven deaths. Five deaths were reported from Jamaica due to drowning. Heavy rains occurred for several days over Jamaica and extreme eastern Cuba. Orographic effects probably caused exces- Page Missing or Unavailable |