City Leader Leading Rebuilding Work at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero
The local leader of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.
Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”
Several people from the town are reported to have died, but Solomon noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.
“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It 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 frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”
Solomon stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their possessions.
Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.
He is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.
“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.
Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.
The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.
“This will be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.
“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.