🔗 Share this article Mayor Leading Rebuilding Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero The local leader of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense flooding and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe. Aerial photos show the town of this location before and after the arrival of the powerful hurricane. Speaking on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center. “Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.” Several people from Black River are reported dead, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel difficulties. “Storm Melissa came around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained. City leader Richard Solomon assessing the damage in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. “We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying 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 scary experience for us.” Solomon explained that Black River, located in the hard-hit south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions. Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor. He is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation. “My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains. Solomon estimates that it will take billions of local currency to restore Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town. “Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares 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 provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds. National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed. “This will be a enormous undertaking to restore Black River. But although it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and improved,” he told reporters. “It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.