Mayor Leading Recovery Efforts at Storm Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
The local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.
Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense storm at an emergency response center.
“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges.
“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.
“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”
Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is without water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents without power. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to rescue their belongings.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.
The mayor is now concentrating on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.
“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.
Solomon estimates that it will take billions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.
“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.
National leadership has seen 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 massive undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told local media.
“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
