Mayor Guiding Rebuilding Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
This local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation caused by the disaster.
Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel difficulties.
“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding 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 terrifying experience for us.”
The mayor stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest region of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and most buildings have had their roofs. One official previously described the town as flooded, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to salvage their belongings.
Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.
The mayor is now focused on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.
“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.
The mayor estimates that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.
“We are now trying to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this time,” he adds.
The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.
“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told local media.
“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
