🔗 Share this article

The mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and widespread destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel challenges.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is lacking running water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane'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 get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

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

“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he told reporters.

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