Featured Exhibit:Hurricane Hattie - 50 years

A temporary exhibit is on display at the Museum of Belize this month, it is called, "Eye of the Storm - Fifty Years Since Hurricane Hattie". The exhibit features a videodocumentary, items from the Craig's Family Collection, recollections from The Archives and Records Department and reserach conducted by the researchers at Museum of Belize.

Belize has had it's share of hurricane hits and near misses.  

Janet in 1955. The eye of Janet packed winds of 135 miles per hour and it made landfall on a small Mexican village north of San Pedro Town.  In  Corozal town, the eye reached winds of up to 150 knots. There were devastating winds and massive flooding in the northern districts, 16 deaths, and 20,000 people left homeless. In San Pedro, the houses on back street were damaged, the beach homes and lots were large mounds of sand, and the beach increased by many feet.

 

 

Hattie in October 1961.  Hattie formed inside the Caribbean Sea and traveled north towards Cuba. Then, unfortunately for Belize, turned west and tracked directly into Belize City. Hattie's eye had winds of  115 miles per hour with gusts estimated at 200 miles per hour. The eye passed between Belize City and Dangriga causing 307 deaths in Belize City alone. It was this hurricane that resulted in George Price, and the People's United Party (PUP) to relocate their Capital City from Belize City to the safer location of Belmopan.