Mayor Leading Rebuilding Work at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
The local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center.
“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”
Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.
“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.
“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”
The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.
He is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.
“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.
The mayor estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he says, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.
“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.
The prime minister has seen the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.
“This will be a massive task to restore Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed local media.
“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
