City Leader Guiding Recovery Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero
This mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.
Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from Black River are reported dead, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. 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 frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”
Solomon stated that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.
The mayor is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.
“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.
The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he says, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.
“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.
National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.
“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he informed local media.
“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
