Mayor Guiding Recovery Work at Storm Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
The mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.
Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.
“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.
“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.
“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. That 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.”
Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.
The mayor is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.
The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal 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 relief supplies in. Most 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.
The prime minister has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.
“It is going to be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and better,” he told local media.
“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
