Isolated areas could receive as much as 18 inches (45 centimeters), causing flooding and mudslides.
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The statement said there was major infrastructure damage in the offshore cayes, as well as in Belize City and Belmopan. Residents of Belize City and other coastal communities had been urged by the authorities to move inland and take advantage of higher ground or a network of storm shelters.
Mexican national oil company Pemex said Wednesday night it was monitoring Earl but had not evacuated workers at oil platforms that are concentrated in the southern Gulf of Mexico.
Mexico’s government ended storm warnings, and rain-triggered floods or landslides were considered the main risk going forward. Hurricane warnings were posted for areas near and around the small country, including Chetumal, Mexico, located south of the Belize-Guatemala border. Earl is forecast to weaken to a tropical storm later this morning and to a tropical depression by Friday morning.
“Winds gusted to 58 mph for several hours overnight at Phillip Goldston International Airport west of Belize City as the eye of Earl passed just to the south of that location around 2 a.m. EDT”.
Earl was moving toward the west near 12 miles per hour (19 kph), and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said this general motion is expected to continue during the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the core of Earl is expected to pass near the Honduras Bay Islands this afternoon, and then make landfall in Belize tonight or early Thursday.
Lisandro Rosales, head of Honduras’ emergency commission, said there were reports of large numbers of trees and utility poles being knocked down.
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Employees of the Caribbean Villas Hotel, in San Pedro on Belize’s Ambergris Caye, pulled in beach chairs and chaise lounges as rain began to fall on the popular beach resort.
