Preparations
Over a stretch of four days, sixteen tropical cyclone watches and warnings were issued in association with Iris, including the Dominican Republic, the Cuban provinces of Granma and Santiago de Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, the Yucatán Peninsula, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. In Belize, where Iris made landfall, a hurricane warning was issued about 23 hours before the storm moved ashore.
The threat from Iris prompted the activation of the Jamaica National Emergency Operations Center. Shelters were opened but were ultimately unused.
In Belize, a state of national emergency was declared on October 8 as Hurricane Iris neared landfall. All emergency response committees were activated to quickly begin recovery efforts. A mandatory evacuation was issued for Stan Creek and Toledo coastal villages and all islands. The main hospital in Belize City was evacuated as a precaution and the city itself was placed under a voluntary evacuation order. Overall, about 80,000 people evacuated their homes in Belize, including many in Belize City. Hurricane Keith struck the nation a year prior, which prepared some citizens. Disaster response teams arrived the day after Iris was projected to make landfall. Pan American Health Organization staff were on standby in Belize, Guatemala and Honduras and were ready to respond to any post-storm disease outbreaks.
On October 8, the Government of Honduras declared a red alert for all northern regions. About 5,000 people in the country evacuated from their homes. To the north of Belize, officials in Mexico evacuated people from fishing villages and closed ports.
Read more about this topic: Hurricane Iris
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—Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.)
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