Mayor Leading Recovery Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero
This local leader of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from the town are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and transportation difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.
“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”
The mayor stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without water and electricity, and most buildings have lost their roofs. One official previously described the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.
Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.
The mayor is now focused on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.
“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.
Solomon estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.
National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.
“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it emerging more resilient and better,” he told reporters.
“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
