🔗 Share this article

The mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of this area is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

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

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. One official previously described the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now focused on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.