City Leader Leading Recovery Efforts at Storm Melissa's Worst-Hit Area

This mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is lacking running water and power, and most structures have had their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can vision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed local media.

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