City Leader Leading Rebuilding Work at Storm Melissa's Worst-Hit Area

The local leader of the town of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread devastation wrought by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, the mayor described enduring the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. 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 critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

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

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this time,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the region showing the vast majority of buildings 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 tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.

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