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This mayor of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, the mayor described enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and the majority of structures have lost their roofing. One official earlier described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now concentrating on working to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“My vehicle was totally covered by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to restore Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and better,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.