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This mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive devastation caused by the disaster.

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

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

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping 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 experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

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

“My vehicle was totally covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive task to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.

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