Mayor Leading Rebuilding Efforts at Storm Melissa's Ground Zero

The local leader of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon described riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, situated in the hard-hit southwest region of the area, is without water and electricity, and most structures have lost their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and better,” 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.