Mayor Leading Rebuilding Efforts at Storm Melissa's Ground Zero
The local leader of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.
Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.
“Our community of this area is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”
Several people from the town are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.
“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.
“We got up to 16ft of water at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”
Solomon stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.
He is now concentrating on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.
The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the priority 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 supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.
National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.
“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he informed local media.
“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
