June 12, 2026 — Two consecutive days of torrential rainfall have left communities across Belize’s Stann Creek Valley submerged, triggered widespread road closures, and left multiple motorists stranded across the district. While the downpour has ceased and floodwaters are now slowly pulling back, the country’s National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) is keeping its highest level of response activation in place, with emergency teams already deployed across affected areas to survey damage, track shifting river levels, and coordinate relief for displaced and impacted households. National Emergency Coordinator Daniel Mendez is urging local residents to set aside complacency and stay alert as the slow process of recovery gets underway.
Speaking in an official update following the extreme weather event, Mendez confirmed that the disruptive weather system that stalled over the country has lost strength, with a marked drop in accumulated rainfall recorded across most flood-hit zones. “Floodwaters are gradually receding in the affected communities, particularly in the Stann Creek district,” Mendez said. “However, flood alert remains in effect for central and southern coastal areas and in the northern districts as we continue to monitor conditions closely.”
A full list of impacted locations includes Dangriga Town, Sarawui, Silkgrass, Hope Creek, Maya Centre, Mountain View, Mullins River, Steadfast, Pomona, and Valley Community, alongside key stretches of the Hummingbird Highway and the Coastal Road. While the section of the Coastal Road around mile 16 has reopened to limited traffic, ongoing repair work is ongoing in the area, and Mendez stressed that motorists must reduce speed and exercise extreme caution when traveling through the corridor.
NEMO is working in close coordination with the National Met Service and the National Hydrological Service to track real-time changes to weather patterns and river levels across the country. Emergency teams have now moved into the initial phase of response, conducting systematic needs assessments across flood-hit communities ahead of rolling out humanitarian support. Preparations are complete to deliver essential relief items including packaged food rations and potable drinking water to locations where access to basic supplies has been disrupted.
As of the latest update, no emergency shelters have been activated, but multiple pre-vetted facilities remain on standby and ready to open at short notice should flood conditions worsen in any area. Mendez emphasized that public safety remains the top priority for response teams, even as overall conditions improve. “We of course would like to remind the public that although conditions are improving, that we would like you to remain vigilant, as rivers and low-lying areas may still pose risks,” he said. The coordinator repeated a critical safety warning: residents should never attempt to walk or drive through flooded roadways. He also urged the public to only follow official updates issued by NEMO, the National Met Service, the National Hydrological Service, and local municipal authorities.
Local residents of the Stann Creek Valley note that flash flooding of the severity seen on Thursday is an extremely rare event, occurring roughly once every few decades. This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television news broadcast, with standard spelling used for Kriol language portions of the original broadcast.