Mayor Guiding Rebuilding Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero
The mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.
Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”
Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.
“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”
The mayor explained that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. One official earlier described the town as flooded, with over half a million residents without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.
He is now concentrating on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.
“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.
Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.
“We are now trying to clear 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 impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.
The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.
“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision 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 get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
