Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has called the town of Black River ”ground zero” for this year's most powerful storm, Hurricane Melissa, after an aerial survey.
What you should know
The devastating storm 'Melissa' has wreaked havoc in the Caribbean. The storm, which has caused crisis in many Caribbean countries including Jamaica, has seen the biggest impact in the Black River town, southwest of St. Elizabeth. So far, 5 people have been confirmed dead here.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has called the town of Black River ‘Ground Zero’ of this year’s most powerful storm, Hurricane Melissa, after an aerial survey.
Mayor Richard Solomon told the British media outlet The Guardian that other people may have died. However, he said that he was unable to confirm their deaths due to disruptions in communications and transport.
The ‘Category 5’ storm hit here at 8 am with winds of around 298 kilometres per hour. Which was the most powerful phase of Hurricane Melissa. The storm and rain continued for about nine hours.
‘There was about 16 feet of water in the emergency centre here. We were very scared when we saw the water level rising on the second floor,’ he told the Guardian.
There is now a shortage of water and electricity. 80 to 90 percent of the roofs of houses have been blown off by the storm. Nearly 500,000 people have not been able to turn on the lights. Roads connecting the city are blocked by landslides. Locals are currently busy draining water from their homes and rescuing relatives. It is difficult for a sufficient number of rescuers to reach and carry out search work. Mayor Solomon said that the rescue operation is being difficult because the city's important vehicles, fire engines, police stations, hospitals and supermarkets are in a damaged condition.
Historical splendor
Black River is one of the old colonial cities on the island of Jamaica. The Black River flows through this city and merges with the Caribbean Sea.
This city is shown on a map published in 1685 by John Sellers, who was a map and book publisher in Britain in the old days. The Black River is mentioned in the book ‘History of Jamaica’ by British historian Edward Long, published in 1774. He discusses this area as a trade route.
William Beckford’s book, which summarizes his Jamaican experience, was published in 1790. In this book, he mentions that there are 50 houses on the Black River and that it has an attractive natural bank for transporting goods. Timber and sugarcane were transported from here.
The ‘Waterloo Guest House’ in Black River is the first house in Jamaica to have electricity in 1893. The city has also seen significant development due to the heavy traffic of merchants, naval forces, and Christian missionaries from Europe and North America.
Last July, Prime Minister Holness presented a strategic plan for the development of Black River. The city was declared the third largest city after the capital Kingston and the tourist city of Montego Bay. Plans were prepared to create a new investment environment in the city, develop digital infrastructure, and accelerate physical infrastructure development.
The Prime Minister urged locals, businessmen, and local governments to unite to build a modern and inclusive Jamaica. However, the storm has temporarily halted the aspirations for rapid development. The storm has damaged other island countries around the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.
(with the support of the agency)
