Mayor Leading Rebuilding Efforts at Storm Melissa's Epicenter
The mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.
Speaking on the traumatic experience, the mayor described enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.
“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.
“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”
Solomon stated that the town, located in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million residents without power. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.
The mayor is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.
“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 focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.
The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off 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 severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he adds.
National leadership has witnessed the devastation 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 enormous task to restore Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.
“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.
