City Leader Guiding Rebuilding Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Epicenter
The local leader of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.
“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.
“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. That was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, 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 explained that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is without water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofing. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with over half a million residents without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.
Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.
He is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.
“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people 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 rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.
“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.
The prime minister has witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.
“This will be a enormous undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed local media.
“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.
