🔗 Share this article

The mayor of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is without water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofs. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he says, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.