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This mayor of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofs. One official earlier described the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

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

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

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

National leadership has seen the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it emerging more resilient and better,” he told reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.