🔗 Share this article City Leader Leading Rebuilding Work at Storm Melissa's Worst-Hit Area The local leader of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction caused by the disaster. Aerial images reveal the community of Black River prior to and after the impact of the powerful hurricane. Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center. “The entire town 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 confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges. “Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained. City leader of Black River surveying the aftermath in the wake of the disaster. “We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.” Solomon stated that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and power, and most structures have lost their roofing. An authority earlier described the town as under water, with more than half a million residents without power. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their belongings. Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says Solomon. He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation. “My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains. Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town. “Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he says. The prime minister has seen the devastation first-hand, 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 undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he told reporters. “We will get it done. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.