City Leader Leading Rebuilding Work at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
The mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.
Speaking on the traumatic experience, the mayor described riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.
“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from the town are reported to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.
“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”
Solomon explained that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofs. One official earlier described the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide 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 belongings.
Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.
The mayor is now focused on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.
Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.
National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.
“It is going to be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.
“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
