🔗 Share this article

This mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and most buildings have lost their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

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

“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he told local media.

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