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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread devastation wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, the mayor described enduring the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got 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 rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, located in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now focused on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.