Mayor Leading Recovery Work at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero
This local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.
Reflecting on the traumatic experience, the mayor described enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.
“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”
Solomon stated that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.
He is now concentrating on working to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. My roof went, so I do understand the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.
Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver 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 need at this time,” he adds.
National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.
“This will be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.
“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.
