🔗 Share this article Mayor Guiding Rebuilding Efforts at Storm Melissa's Epicenter The mayor of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe. Aerial photos show the town of this location prior to and following the arrival of the powerful hurricane. Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre. “The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.” Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges. “Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added. Mayor of Black River assessing the aftermath in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. “We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.” Solomon explained that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is without running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents without power. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions. Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor. The mayor is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster. “My vehicle was completely submerged by water. My roof went, so I do understand the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says. Solomon estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he says, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town. “We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds. National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost. “It is going to be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and better,” he informed reporters. “It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.