Mayor Leading Rebuilding Efforts at Storm Melissa's Ground Zero
This mayor of the town of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.
Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center.
“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”
Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.
“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.
“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”
The mayor explained that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of the area, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. An authority earlier described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to salvage their belongings.
Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.
The mayor is now focused on trying to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.
“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.
The mayor estimates that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.
“We are now trying to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.
National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.
“This will be a enormous task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it rising stronger and better,” 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.
