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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

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

Five individuals from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

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

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now focused on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the damage personally, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But although it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.