🔗 Share this article

This mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, the mayor described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We got 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 rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is without running water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now focused on working to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

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

National leadership has seen the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive task to restore Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.