City Leader Leading Rebuilding Work at Hurricane Melissa's Epicenter

This local leader of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to salvage their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, 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.

The prime minister has seen the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to restore Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and better,” he informed reporters.

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