🔗 Share this article

The local leader of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase 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, situated 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 earlier described the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide 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 rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal 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 supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.