🔗 Share this article

The mayor of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread devastation wrought by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, the mayor described enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from the town are reported dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That 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 scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. One official previously described the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive task to restore Black River. But although it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.