Mayor Guiding Recovery Work at Hurricane Melissa's Epicenter
The local leader of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.
Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.
“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel difficulties.
“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he explained.
“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”
The mayor stated that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to salvage their belongings.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.
The mayor is now focused on working to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.
“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. My roof went, so I do understand the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.
The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.
National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.
“This will be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and improved,” he told reporters.
“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
