🔗 Share this article

This mayor of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are reported to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding 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 second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is without running water and power, and most buildings have had their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

National leadership has seen the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.