🔗 Share this article Mayor Leading Recovery Work at Hurricane Melissa's Worst-Hit Area The local leader of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the disaster. Aerial images show the community of Black River prior to and following the impact of the powerful hurricane. Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center. “The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.” Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges. “The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added. Mayor of Black River surveying the damage in the wake of the disaster. “We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.” The mayor stated that the town, located in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions. Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor. He is now concentrating on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping 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 key focus for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says. The mayor estimates that it will take billions of local currency to restore Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town. “Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our stores, 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 flyover of the area showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed. “This will be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he told local media. “We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.