Mayor Leading Recovery Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
This local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and widespread destruction caused by the catastrophe.
Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense storm at an emergency response center.
“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Several people from the town are reported to have died, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.
“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. That was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping 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.”
Solomon stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and most structures have lost their roofs. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.
Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.
He is now concentrating on working to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.
“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.
Solomon estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.
“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver 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.
National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an flyover of the region revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.
“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told reporters.
“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.
