City Leader Leading Rebuilding Work at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero

This local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River 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 confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, located in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and power, and most structures have had their roofs. An authority previously described the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents without power. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on working to help 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 do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he told local media.

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