City Leader Guiding Recovery Work at Storm Melissa's Epicenter

This mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town 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 Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. 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 I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild 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 clear the main roads and secondary routes 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 persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation personally, with an flyover of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and better,” he told reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.