Mayor Leading Rebuilding Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
This mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.
Speaking on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.
“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts 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 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.”
Solomon explained that the town, located in the severely affected southwest parish of the area, is without water and power, and most structures have had their roofs. One official earlier characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.
Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.
The mayor is now focused on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.
The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.
“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.
The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.
“It is going to be a massive undertaking to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.
“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.
