Mayor Guiding Recovery Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
This mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.
Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.
“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”
Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.
“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.
“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”
The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected south-western region of the area, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofing. An authority previously described the town as under water, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.
He is now concentrating on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.
Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.
“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.
The prime minister has witnessed the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.
“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.
“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.
