Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum says several countries in danger of high flooding and landslides

By BBN Staff: The  Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum  (CariCOF) is warning that current weather conditions in the region can produce high flooding, landslides, and rockfall in several Caribbean countries, including Belize.

The Barbados-based organization issued its latest newsletter this week,  which said that the ongoing La Niña weather phenomenon is the major force that could drive the forewarned disasters.

CariCOF said Belize and other Caribbean countries would be at risk for high flooding, flash flood, landslide, rockfall, and soil erosion until around December 2020. Additionally, the southwest of Belize, Dominica, and Martinique, while a drought watch should be considered for Antigua, western and southeast Belize, St.Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent, and Suriname, should all be under a short-term drought warning.

“With the transition into the dry season in Belize and the islands, frequent, short dry spells are expected from Hispaniola westward, potentially impacting unprotected crop farming. On a positive note, with the intense 2020 Heat Season ending in October, heat stress should quickly subside,” CariCOF added.

The organization said that  Belize, Dominica, Martinique, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Suriname are also expected to be affected by drought in the long term.

“Areas ending up in long term drought by the end of November may experience water levels in large reservoirs, large rivers, and groundwater that are lower than usual, which would become a concern for the 2020-21 dry season,”  CariCOF added.

Belize has been reeling from a drought since 2019, which caused thousands of dollars in crop damage for farmers across the country. Spontaneous floods this year also caused considerable crop damage in southern and western Belize earlier this year.

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