People walk along muddied roads scavenging the wreckage for food. Others jump into damaged stores in the hope of finding bottled water or other supplies. As the death toll rises, residents of Black River are still searching for loved ones while they also battle to survive, days after Hurricane Melissa made this Jamaican port city ground zero of the devastation seen across the Caribbean.
Residents here say they have been living in a state of chaos the last three days since Melissa slammed into them as one of the most powerful category five storms ever recorded in the region. The fierce winds and storm surge that barreled through here have decimated nearly everything, leaving roads unusable and a trail of destruction that has them increasingly desperate and isolated with no electricity or running water. Capsized boats lie kerbside. Brick buildings are split in half. Giant sheets of metal are twisted between tree branches. Vehicles sit in crumbled pieces.
Residents who spoke to the BBC said they have seen no aid trucks in the area and described having to eat what food they can find in debris by the roads in the coastal town. Others made their way inside battered supermarkets, taking what they could for themselves.
We have to use whatever we see here, on the street and also in the supermarket, Demar Walker explained, sitting in a shaded area down the street from the store to escape the heat and 80% humidity. He said he and others had to climb into the market due to its roof caving in and took what they could. They tossed water and items to others also in need.
Nearby, others told the BBC of a local pharmacy being looted in Black River, describing anarchy as people ran in and out carrying armfuls of drugs and alcohol. The situation has left many in search of survival, with communal desperation evident as local shops and pharmacies have been raided.
As Jimmy Esson remarked, I lost everything, all my things. We need food. We have no food.
Amid growing chaos, officials estimate that 90% of the homes in the area have been destroyed, making the recovery effort even more challenging. Mayor Richard Solomon acknowledged the fragile situation, recognizing why some residents are resorting to looting in their bid to survive. With the local hospital and vital infrastructure severely impacted, uncertainty looms as to when regular life can resume for the residents of Black River.
Residents here say they have been living in a state of chaos the last three days since Melissa slammed into them as one of the most powerful category five storms ever recorded in the region. The fierce winds and storm surge that barreled through here have decimated nearly everything, leaving roads unusable and a trail of destruction that has them increasingly desperate and isolated with no electricity or running water. Capsized boats lie kerbside. Brick buildings are split in half. Giant sheets of metal are twisted between tree branches. Vehicles sit in crumbled pieces.
Residents who spoke to the BBC said they have seen no aid trucks in the area and described having to eat what food they can find in debris by the roads in the coastal town. Others made their way inside battered supermarkets, taking what they could for themselves.
We have to use whatever we see here, on the street and also in the supermarket, Demar Walker explained, sitting in a shaded area down the street from the store to escape the heat and 80% humidity. He said he and others had to climb into the market due to its roof caving in and took what they could. They tossed water and items to others also in need.
Nearby, others told the BBC of a local pharmacy being looted in Black River, describing anarchy as people ran in and out carrying armfuls of drugs and alcohol. The situation has left many in search of survival, with communal desperation evident as local shops and pharmacies have been raided.
As Jimmy Esson remarked, I lost everything, all my things. We need food. We have no food.
Amid growing chaos, officials estimate that 90% of the homes in the area have been destroyed, making the recovery effort even more challenging. Mayor Richard Solomon acknowledged the fragile situation, recognizing why some residents are resorting to looting in their bid to survive. With the local hospital and vital infrastructure severely impacted, uncertainty looms as to when regular life can resume for the residents of Black River.
