🔗 Share this article Mayor Guiding Rebuilding Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area This mayor of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe. Aerial images show the town of Black River prior to and after the arrival of Hurricane Melissa. 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 in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.” Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges. “Storm Melissa came 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. City leader Richard Solomon surveying the damage in the aftermath of the disaster. “We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying 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 stated that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is without running water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. 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 homes and attempting to rescue their belongings. Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor. He is now focused on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation. “The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says. The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town. “We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he adds. National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost. “This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed local media. “It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.