🔗 Share this article

This local leader of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

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

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, 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 almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on trying to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

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

The prime minister has witnessed the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority 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 emerging more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.