Mayor Guiding Recovery Work at Storm Melissa's Epicenter

This mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.

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

The mayor stated that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, 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 landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

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

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the main goal 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 aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing 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 damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told local media.

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