🔗 Share this article

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

Speaking on the harrowing experience, the mayor recalled enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

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

Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued 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 flooding at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is without water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now focused on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an flyover of the region revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed reporters.

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