Mayor Leading Rebuilding Work at Hurricane Melissa's Epicenter

The mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported dead, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa 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 experienced up to 4.8 metres of water 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 second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and most structures have lost their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with over half a million residents without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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 submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area showing 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 destroyed, we can vision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.