Mayor Guiding Recovery Work at Storm Melissa's Worst-Hit Area

This local leader of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

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

“My vehicle was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of local currency to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and better,” he told reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.