The town is devastated': the mayor picking up the pieces at Hurricane Melissa's ground zero'

"The mayor of Black River a town that Jamaica's prime minister called ground zero for Hurricane Melissa has described the monstrous storm surges and devastation the storm has wrought on its residents. Speaking to the Guardian, Richard Solomon recounted the traumatic experience of riding out the Category 5 storm of the century at an emergency operating centre. The entire town of Black River is devastated, he said. And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero."

"The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain. Mayor of Black River, Richard Solomon after Hurricane Melissa. Photograph: provided by the Mayor. We got up to 16ft (4.8 metres) of water at the [emergency operating] centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us."

"Solomon says Black River, which sits in the hard-hit south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is without water and electricity and most buildings have lost their roof. One official earlier described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents without power. A landslide there has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where the streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings."

Black River experienced monstrous storm surges and catastrophic damage during Hurricane Melissa, with the entire town devastated. Floodwaters rose to about 16ft (4.8 metres) at the emergency operating centre, forcing occupants to the second floor and creating dangerous conditions. At least five people from Black River are confirmed dead, and additional deaths are suspected but unconfirmed due to disrupted communications and transport. The storm lasted roughly nine hours with heavy winds and rain. The town in St Elizabeth is without water and electricity, most buildings have lost roofs, roads are blocked by landslides, and residents are sweeping out homes and trying to salvage belongings while rescue and assessments remain difficult.

Read at www.theguardian.com