Mayor Guiding Recovery Efforts at Storm Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
The local leader of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and widespread devastation wrought by the disaster.
Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.
“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”
Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.
“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise 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 explained that Black River, located in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and power, and most structures have lost their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.
Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.
He is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.
Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.
“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.
National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.
“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and better,” he informed local media.
“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.
