🔗 Share this article

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

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, located in the severely affected south-western region of the area, is lacking water and power, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with over 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, 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 relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.