Mayor Leading Recovery Efforts at Storm Melissa's Epicenter
This mayor of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread devastation wrought by the catastrophe.
Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.
“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Five individuals from the town are reported dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.
“Storm Melissa came around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.
“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, 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 southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and power, and most buildings have had their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to salvage their belongings.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.
The mayor is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.
“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.
The mayor believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.
“We are now trying to clear the main roads 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 provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.
The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.
“This will be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and better,” he informed local media.
“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.
