Mayor Leading Recovery Work at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero

This mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic 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 mentioned hearing reports of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary 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 climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, located in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most buildings have had their roofs. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.