Ravaged by Hurricane Melissa, this once-vibrant Jamaican town is now in desperate need of help
Once described as a tropical paradise, Jamaica’s seaside town of Black River is now being compared to “hell on Earth” after it was devastated by terrorist attacks. Hurricane Melissa.
Many of the town’s colorful houses, historic buildings and lush greenery have now been reduced to piles of rubble covering the muddy ground.
“We have no place to stay,” Britney Samms, a resident of Black River’s Vineyard District, told CNN.
Black River was one of the worst affected parts of Jamaica. As the hurricane raced through, a storm surge of up to 16 feet flooded parts of the community. St. At least two people died there and their bodies were found floating in the water after the storm passed, Elizabeth Police Superintendent Coleridge Minto said Wednesday.
At least 49 people are known to have died in the Caribbean, but the full toll of the devastating storm may take days or weeks to be determined, Reuters reported.
Hundreds of Black River survivors are now walking the streets in shock and trying to process the harrowing situation they face.
Many have lost their homes and are wondering where to go for shelter.
“We live in a rooming house. Everything is gone – dressers, stove – everything is gone,” said Samms, sitting next to other residents next to shopping carts full of their remaining belongings.
A man from a nearby town said after surveying the devastation that it was “a nice, quiet, very tame town.” “This place is now a hell on earth,” he said.
The town’s narrow roads are now littered with metal roof panels, concrete slabs and all kinds of garbage brought by the water.
After Hurricane Melissa, residents of Black River, Jamaica, gathered under the rubble on Thursday. -Matias Delacroix/AP
Painful screams often echo through the town as residents wander in circles, searching for loved ones or assessing the damage.
Heat and humidity add another layer of complexity to recovery efforts. There is a makeshift camp of people fleeing the storm, but nothing is left standing.
Mayor Richard Solomon called the conditions devastating. “Disaster is an understatement for what we’ve observed here,” he said.
In addition to the devastation, the storm “destroyed” the town’s relief supplies and rendered emergency vehicles inoperable due to water damage, Solomon said. This delayed authorities’ ability to provide much-needed aid.
A building stands amidst torn tree branches and flooding Thursday. – Octavio Jones/Reuters
Residents watch a helicopter take off after dropping off medical supplies in Black River, Jamaica, on Thursday. -Matias Delacroix/AP
Dozens of residents were seen desperately emptying the shelves of a damaged supermarket, searching for basic needs such as food and water.
“There is no looting,” one resident told CNN. “This is trying to survive. It’s a matter of survival right now.” He said the police were at the scene to help them, not to deter them.
It has become difficult to get outside help as many roads remain closed due to debris, fallen trees and floodwaters.
Emergency crews and defense forces are slowly arriving to help where they can. But residents say that help can’t come soon enough.
“I need a shelter too, I need food for my children, clothes for my children,” said a woman who identified herself as Anyaleepy. “And not just for me, but for anyone who can come and help us. Jamaica really needs your help. We’re dying here.”
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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