By: Staff Writer
November 4, 2022
The tropical Atlantic remains unusually busy for November, with forecasters monitoring multiple systems at a time when activity is usually tamping down.
Hurricane Lisa made landfall near the mouth of the Sibun River, about 10 miles southwest of Belize City, at approximately 4:20 p.m. CDT Wednesday. Lisa made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h), and was moving west at 12 mph (19 km/h). Hurricane force winds extended outward to 15 miles (30 km) from the center of Lisa.
As of 7 p.m. CDT, the storm is about 20 miles west of Belize City, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h).
Reports of damage in Belize City have started due to the landfall, with several houses losing their roofs as Lisa makes its way across the country. One local report Wednesday afternoon stated that much of the city was under water, and small sailboats were pushed by the waters into the city’s Swing Bridge.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Lisa had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph at landfall. The storm’s center was about 10 miles southwest of Belize City and moving west at 12 mph.
Belize’s National Emergency Management Organization said the storm was expected to come ashore between the beach town of Dangriga and Belize City, but warned that “residents across the country are reminded to be prepared.”
Einer Gomez, the assistant manager at Ramon’s Village Resort in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, just off the coast of Belize, said a light rain had started to fall and there was some storm surge, but no high winds yet.
“All the guests that are in the beachfront units have been relocated” to less exposed rooms, and beach furniture had been secured, Gomez said. “Everyone is just waiting for it to pass.”