Mayor Leading Recovery Work at Storm Melissa's Ground Zero
This mayor of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.
Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.
“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from the town are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.
“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.
“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”
Solomon explained that the town, located in the severely affected southwest parish of the area, is without running water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.
Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.
He is now focused on trying to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.
“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that people 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 says.
The mayor believes 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 isolated the town.
“Efforts are underway 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 will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in need at this moment,” he adds.
The prime minister has seen the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.
“This will be a enormous undertaking to restore Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and improved,” he informed reporters.
“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.
