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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon described enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.

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

“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with more than half a million residents without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

The mayor is now focused on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.

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

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid 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 dire straits at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.