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This mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described 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 prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are reported dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

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

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

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without water and power, and most structures have lost their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.