Mayor Guiding Rebuilding Efforts at Storm Melissa's Ground Zero
The local leader of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction wrought 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 in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.
“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.
“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying 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 terrifying moment for us.”
Solomon stated that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and most structures have lost their roofing. One official previously described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.
The mayor is now concentrating on trying to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.
“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.
Solomon estimates that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.
The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.
“This will be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and better,” he informed local media.
“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.