Mayor Leading Recovery Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Epicenter

This local leader of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That 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 terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is without water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofing. One official previously described the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.