Mayor Leading Recovery Work at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero
This local leader of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the disaster.
Speaking on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.
“Our community of this area is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from the town are reported dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel 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 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”
Solomon stated that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and most buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and attempting to rescue their belongings.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.
The mayor is now focused on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.
“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief 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 Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.
“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.
The prime minister has witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.
“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it emerging stronger 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.
