Mayor Leading Recovery Efforts at Storm Melissa's Ground Zero
This mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.
Speaking on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.
“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.
“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” 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 hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”
Solomon stated that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is without running water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.
The mayor is now concentrating on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.
“My vehicle was completely covered by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.
The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he says, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid 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 moment,” he adds.
The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.
“This will be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.
“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.
