Mayor Guiding Recovery Work at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
This local leader of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.
Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.
“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from the town are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and transportation difficulties.
“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.
“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”
Solomon stated that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest region of the area, is without water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.
Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.
He is now focused on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.
“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.
Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.
“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.
The prime minister has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.
“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed local media.
“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.
