Foraging for sustenance in the streets – despair grips Jamaica following the hurricane

Individuals traverse muddy streets scavenging the debris for meals. Others dive into ruined shops in hopes of discovering bottled water or additional provisions.

With the fatalities escalating, citizens of Black River continue to seek out relatives while simultaneously striving to endure, days subsequent to Hurricane Melissa rendering this Jamaican port city the epicenter of the widespread destruction throughout the Caribbean.

Residents here express they have been caught in a state of turmoil for the past three days since Melissa struck them as one of the mightiest category 5 storms ever documented in the area.

The savage gales and tidal surge that surged through have obliterated nearly everything, rendering roads impassable and leaving a pathway of devastation that has left them ever more desperate and cut off from resources such as electricity or potable water.

Capsized vessels rest atop the curb. Brick structures are cleaved in two. Enormous sheets of metal are ensnared in tree branches. Autos lie in shattered remnants.

Inhabitants who communicated with the BBC stated they have witnessed no relief trucks in the vicinity thus far and recounted having to forage for any food they could discover in the debris alongside the roads in the coastal town, nearly 150 km (93 miles) away from Kingston.

Others ventured into battered grocery stores, seizing what they could for themselves. Some, who scaled a partially collapsed market, threw food and bottles of water down below, where individuals congregated with their arms extended.

“We must utilize whatever we find here, both on the streets and in the grocery store,” Demar Walker relayed, seated in a shaded spot down the street from the shop to avoid the heat and 80% humidity.

He remarked that he and others had to enter the market due to its roof collapsing and took what they could salvage. They tossed water and supplies to others in need.

“We weren’t selfish; we needed to share food with others,” he stated.

Nearby, others recounted to the BBC about a local pharmacy being plundered in Black River, depicting pandemonium as individuals rushed in and out with armfuls of medications and alcohol.

“I witnessed items muddied being pulled out,” Aldwayne Tomlinson informed the BBC. “Initially, I assumed the place was still operational, but upon a closer look, I realized otherwise.

“I heard a woman exclaim, ‘I need to fetch some alcohol.’ That was the moment I recognized they were looting the pharmacy too,” he recounted.

Just down the street, a woman perched atop a mound of debris characterizes the scenario as “chaos, chaos. Complete. No food. No water”.

“We lack access to money. Assistance is required. No help has arrived,” Chegun Braham added.

One couple informed the BBC that they owned multiple shops in the vicinity, several of which they mentioned had been sacked. They are currently guarding one of their establishments in hopes of hindering additional thefts.

A brief stroll from the market, Jimmy Esson leaned against a substantial metal beam that had been knocked down.

“I’ve lost everything, all of my belongings,” he stated. “We require food. There is no food.”

Survival is the foremost thought on most people’s minds here. The other concern is the escalating death toll. Jamaican officials announced on Thursday that at least 19 lives had been lost in the country, a significant rise from the five reported the day prior. Additionally, another 30 have perished in neighboring Haiti due to the storm.

“In my community, we have deceased individuals there,” Mr. Walker mentioned.

He conveyed that he, like many others in the locality, still has not made contact with family and remains uncertain whether they survived the storm. Mr. Walker is stranded in Black River, sleeping in any house still standing that will take him, while his eight-year-old son is in Westmoreland, the adjoining parish.

Westmoreland shares Jamaica’s western coastline with Black River in the St Elizabeth parish and also faced severe damage from Melissa.

“There’s no means to reach my family to check if they are safe,” he stated as his eyes began to well with tears. Alongside the impassable roads hindering travel, there is minimal to no mobile network coverage and many areas lack electricity or running water.

“The whole town of Black River is in ruins,” stated the town’s mayor Richard Solomon.

He remarked to local news about the desperation expressed by residents who are looting and – while not endorsing it – acknowledged their motives.

“It’s a delicate situation,” Mayor Solomon commented on the responses to it. “People are taking the chance to salvage what they can from the ground (in damaged stores). However, some are attempting to force their way into private properties to acquire various supplies.”

Local authorities estimate that 90% of the residences in this area have been destroyed. Much of the town’s essential infrastructure, including the local hospital, police precinct, and fire station, has been devastated as well.

“There are entire neighborhoods that appear to be stranded and zones that seem to be leveled,” Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon remarked.

Aid shipments are beginning to arrive more swiftly at the primary airport in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, but smaller regional airports, some situated near the areas in most urgent need of humanitarian assistance, remain only partially operational.

Aid organizations and military personnel are transporting the essential supplies from Kingston by land, but many roads continue to be impassable in certain locations, including areas like Black River.

The town is approximately a two-hour drive from Kingston, yet the primary access road is – at various sections – inundated, damaged, and congested with vehicles.

Michael Tharkurdeen, a local paramedic, was stationed at the town’s firehouse when the storm struck.

“We were situated upstairs; the entire ground level was submerged. The water was about four to five feet high. When the water surged in, the seas flooded everywhere,” Mr. Tharkurdeen recounted.

“No one could stay on the first floor. Trust me, there were waves reaching this high,” he added, indicating his shoulder.

Those who managed to arrive at his location from the flooded buildings nearby did so in poor condition. They presented with “cuts and gashes on their hands, their feet,” he recounted. “Children, the elderly, everyone.”

Mr. Tharkurdeen also discovered an individual who appeared “lifeless” with “no pulse” once the floodwaters subsided.

“I’m not a physician, I’m a medic, therefore I couldn’t declare him deceased,” he stated. “All we could do was document it and cover his body.”

By Friday afternoon, a convoy of military helicopters arrived in Black River – with many hoping they carried much-needed aid.

Armed officers with rifles descended onto the streets, and shortly after, the throngs scavenging the stolen pharmacy and grocery store had dispersed. A lineup of cars that had congested the singular route in the area was cleared.

An eerie calm took the place of the tumult and disorder of countless individuals battling for survival.

“St. Elizabeth, we yearn for it to rejuvenate,” Shawn Morris expressed regarding the future of the area and his aspirations for assistance to arrive.

“It’s not a matter of money,” he asserted. “We require food and water.”