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The mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.

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

Solomon stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and most structures have had their roofs. One official earlier described the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

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

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.