Holy High Tide: Ambergris Caye’s Lagoons Flow onto the Roads

We’ve been seeing a very high tide – especially on the lagoon-side (west side) of the island for maybe a week or so.  Perhaps a King Tide.  These are the kinds of things that you pay attention to when you move to a narrow island…winds, tides, and even moon phases.   All things that I paid zero attention to when I lived in NYC.

But yesterday, the lagoon – the generally flat stable water (at least as compared to the ocean side) – came over the sea walls, seeping into the streets and flooding lots of land that are barely above the regular sea level.

It’s the highest I’ve ever seen that water.  Probably a combination of the time of year – the new moon – the fall equinox…and most definitely the winds.  The wind was coming from the west and the north yesterday – all being sucked into Hurricane Ian as it moved by us.  (We saw a bit of heavy rain in the evening but just a bit)

Here are some pictures…

The gas station had a pump running to get rid of the excess water but the guys were accessing the gas pumps via cinder blocks.

Gas Station Pump

Flooded gas station

Back-A-Back Street – the water flooded to the street.

Back A Back Street

Then driving north…this condo building called Anglers Cove is almost surrounded by water.

Road by El Pescador Lodge.

There you go.  Clearly, there are people much worse off than we are when it comes to weather situations…but…I thought this was interesting.  I’ve never seen the water so high…and the roads north – already in pretty bad shape – are going to take a licking from this…

Be safe everyone!

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