Mayor Guiding Rebuilding Work at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
The mayor of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.
Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and transportation difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.
“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”
Solomon explained that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and most structures have had their roofs. One official earlier characterized the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.
Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible 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 focused on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.
“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.
The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.
The prime minister has witnessed 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 rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he told reporters.
“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.