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The local leader of the town of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister 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 are still being verified due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding 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 second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is lacking water and electricity, and most structures have lost their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he says, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get 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 time,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed reporters.

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