Eta Storm Flood Victims, Bullet Tree Falls, Belize

On November 3rd I was enjoying my dream house ON the Mopan river. By November 5th I was not enjoying my nightmare house IN the Mopan river (see blue circle in picture).

I am a fortunate man BUT my neighbors not so much. Unprecedented flooding from Hurricane Eta (Tropical Storm Eta in Belize) hit Bullet Tree village last week.  Torrential, Torrential rain. A raging river that rose way, way over its normal levels to completely cover the one lane  Bullet Tree bridge (about 300 - 400 yards upstream from my house) resulted in catastrophic flooding. My house, on a slight rise, was under about 4 feet of water but many of my neighbors, as the pictures below show, were not so lucky. Some of them have lost everything.

For me this is a setback. For them it is a disaster. This Go Fund Me is for them - for my neighbors - not for me.
The small house in the picture above, with water covering the windows, is located one short block from me in the white circle in the photograph below.


As I live through this disaster, it seems that there are three main stages for us to move through - Survive, Reclaim, Rebuild.

We have survived.

But now many of my neighbors must clean up, salvage, Reclaim and Rebuild what they can. Please help me to help them survive the double whammy of Covid related unemployment (yes, here too!) and now this devastating flood damage. (See video of the flood below)

https://www.facebook.com/breakingbelizenews/videos/3692959514077249/ 

My neighbors will need everything from Drinkable Water (there is currently no water supply - our taps produce nothing) to Food, to Sanitary Items, to Household and Cleaning Supplies, to Paint, to Bedding, a Chair or Two, Kitchen Utensils - you name it, someone here needs it.

I have reached out to my neighbors and identified at least 18 households comprising about 75 people (and counting) who took a way worse hit than my wife Kathryn and I did. Once their homes and all that was rescuable are cleaned of the dark, slick, stinking river mud and their homes are secured and habitable, the tasks of clearing their yards of the river's flotsam and debris, rebuilding fences, putting their homes and lives back together, replacing egg laying hens and so on will begin.

I have invited an energetic, respected and well known woman from the neighborhood to form a small (maximum 3 people) task force to help determine where the true needs are and help me to steward well the fruits of your generosity.

I imagine this neighborhood Reclaim and Rebuild period taking place over the next 8 weeks through Christmas and the beginning of the New Year.

Time is of the essence. Anything you can do to help will be enormously appreciated. Some examples of how your generosity could help are (in U.S. funds):

$2.50 buys 5gallons of drinkable water
$55-65 feeds a family of four for one week (of the anticipated eight weeks).
$4.50 buys a gallon of gas
$70 buys a 6inch foam mattress for a single bed
$9 buys two foam chip pillows
$100 buys a 6inch foam queen sized mattress
$30 buys 55pounds of dog food
and the list goes on ... ...

I know these Covid times are likely tough for you too. But, if you can help, please do. Every gesture of generosity will help lift someone's heart and move some portion of this burden from their shoulders.

Thank you. Bless you.