Mayor Guiding Recovery Work at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area

The mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation 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 noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is without water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now focused on trying to assist 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 do understand the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he says, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority 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.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and better,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.