Mayor Guiding Recovery Efforts at Hurricane Melissa's Ground Zero
This local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense storm surges and extensive devastation caused by the catastrophe.
Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.
“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”
Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor noted hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel difficulties.
“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.
“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. 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 scary moment for us.”
The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is without water and power, and most structures have lost their roofing. One official previously described the town as under water, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.
Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.
He is now concentrating on trying to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.
“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.
The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.
“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he adds.
National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.
“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it emerging more resilient and better,” he informed local media.
“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.
