Did NEMO Provide Adequate Flash Flood Warning?  

So, how did flash floods catch so many Orange Walk residents off guard? That’s the big question tonight. The National Emergency Management Organization says it issued an early warning—highlighting the risk of heavy rainfall and possible flooding. But as National Emergency Coordinator Daniel Mendez points out, predicting exactly where the worst of it will hit isn’t always so clear-cut. Tonight, we take a closer look at the challenges of forecasting flash floods—and why even with warnings, some communities were left unprepared.

 

Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO

“The information had been put out from the National Hydrological Service. There had been a warning put out, a flood watch in those areas. There was information from the meth service as well. But as the chief met will let you it is very hard to forecast where these things will happen. But we will continue to stress to people that there is always a likelihood for these things to happen. But we will look at our strategy again and review it. As I keep saying, every event is a learning for us and we will continue to look at our process to see how and where we can improve in that regard.”