City Leader Leading Rebuilding Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
The mayor of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense storm surges and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.
Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense storm at an emergency response center.
“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.
“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. That 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 rising, it was a scary experience for us.”
The mayor stated that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and power, and the majority of structures have lost their roofing. One official earlier described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.
He is now concentrating on trying to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.
“My vehicle was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.
The mayor believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, 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. The majority of our stores, 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 says.
The prime minister has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.
“It is going to be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can vision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.
“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.
