Mayor Guiding Recovery Efforts at Storm Melissa's Epicenter
This mayor of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.
Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.
“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted hearing reports of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying 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 terrifying moment for us.”
The mayor stated that the town, located in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is without water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as under water, with more than half a million inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.
Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.
The mayor is now concentrating on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.
Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.
“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.
National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an flyover of the area revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.
“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he told reporters.
“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.
