City Leader Leading Recovery Work at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
The local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.
“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”
Several people from the town are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.
“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”
The mayor explained that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofing. One official previously described the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.
The mayor is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.
“My vehicle was totally covered by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.
Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads 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 persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.
The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.
“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed local media.
“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.
