🔗 Share this article

The mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor noted hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, 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 the town, located in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is without running water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on trying to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

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

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.