The City of Belmopan and its History

In the Americas, the country of Belize was the last British colony on the mainland. The City of Belmopan, “the new capital,” is the youngest city established in 1973. Belmopan is located near the town of Roaring Creek in the Belize River Valley at 50 miles west inland from the former capital, Belize City. If you’ve ever been curious about how Belmopan came to be, here’s a little history.
The Historical Hurricane: Hattie
In 1961, when we were still known as British Honduras, the city of Belize was devastated by a category 5 hurricane: the notorious Hurricane Hattie. At that time, Belize’s only source of weather reports came from the weather bureau in Miami or the BBC, via our then-radio station, the British Honduras Broadcasting Service. On the day of October 31, 1961, school was out early after news of a hurricane headed for Belize.

With only a few hours to prepare, there was a mad scramble to get provisions and kerosene lanterns, plus board up windows and doors. Some people moved into improvised shelters such as government buildings, like the Mercy Convent and other Colleges. By 8 pm, Hattie began to rage, torrential rain falling like stones, and winds that sounded like freight trains. It lasted 8 hours, but the aftermath was terrible. With about 75% of homes and businesses destroyed, recovery was slow and excruciating. The Red Cross and the British Army, as well as Belizeans, came to the rescue although conditions were precarious.