Mayor Guiding Recovery Efforts at Storm Melissa's Ground Zero
The mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and widespread devastation wrought by the catastrophe.
Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.
“Our community of this area is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.
“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment 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.”
The mayor stated that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofing. One official previously described the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.
He is now focused on working to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.
The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.
“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.
The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.
“This will be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.
“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.