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This mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

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

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now concentrating on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to restore Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.

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