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This local leader of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.