Mayor Leading Rebuilding Work at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero
This mayor of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.
Speaking on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.
“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and continued 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 water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”
The mayor stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their possessions.
Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.
He is now concentrating on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.
“My vehicle was totally covered by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.
The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from 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 relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.
National leadership has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.
“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to restore Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he informed reporters.
“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.
