City Leader Leading Rebuilding Work at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area

This mayor of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense storm surges and widespread devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon described enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are reported dead, but Solomon noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That was a frightening moment 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 scary moment for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and most buildings have lost their roofs. One official previously described the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and improved,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.