City Leader Leading Recovery Work at Storm Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
This mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.
Speaking on the harrowing experience, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.
“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”
Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel challenges.
“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”
Solomon stated that the town, located in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is without water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.
He is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.
“My vehicle was totally covered by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.
The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.
“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this moment,” he adds.
National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the region showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.
“It is going to be a enormous task to restore Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told reporters.
“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.
