🔗 Share this article

This local leader of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense storm at an emergency response center.

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

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise 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 explained that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western region of the area, is lacking water and power, and most structures have had their roofing. One official previously described the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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

“My vehicle was totally covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he told reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.