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The local leader of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are reported to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western region of St Elizabeth, is without water and power, and most structures have lost their roofs. One official previously described the town as under water, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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

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

Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively 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 first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.