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This local leader of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

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

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, located in the severely affected south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and most buildings have had their roofing. One official earlier described the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally submerged 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 getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he says, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has seen the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive task to restore Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.