City Leader Leading Recovery Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area
This local leader of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.
Speaking on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.
“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”
Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation difficulties.
“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.
“We got up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”
The mayor explained that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest parish of the area, is without water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.
Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.
He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing 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 feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.
Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.
“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.
National leadership has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.
“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.
“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.
