🔗 Share this article

This local leader of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is without running water and power, and most structures have lost their roofing. One official earlier described the town as under water, with more than half a million residents without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

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

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

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the region revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.