The most recent earthquake to hit Belize and Honduras on May 28th has been an eye opener. The Belize Red Cross has been busy disseminating information on disasters such as hurricanes and floods to vulnerable communities. However, when this new hazard hit, it was found that the population was not aware of what to do and while earthquakes don't give advance warnings, it is important to know what to do when the earth shakes or when a tsunami watch is declared.

The Belize Red Cross has been on alert and its southern branches have carried out assessments in the Toledo District. The details of this assessment have been posted on the Red Cross' Disaster Management Information System (DMIS). Structural damage on buildings and houses, ground and floors was evident. There has been 1 possibly related death; a woman aged 81 died of what is believed to be a heart attack cause by fright.

Monkey River in Toledo was the most affected and many houses and buildings were damaged. On the ground big cracks are evident and there are many areas where liquifaction has caused the partial sinking of houses and other buildings. In Monkey River in the Toledo District and Mango Creek, Independence in the Stann Creek District the water systems temporarily stopped functioning. The reservoir in Mango Creek has collapsed possibly from the shaking of the earth. Although the systems are back up and running, Belize Red Cross remains on stand-by in case there is need for our emergency water generation plants.

At around 8:45 in the evening another earthquake of magnitude 4.2, was felt off San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and tremors again were felt mildly in Belize.