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This local leader of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. That 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 climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most buildings have had their roofing. One official previously characterized 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 turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now focused on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally covered by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and secondary routes 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 offer goods to persons who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

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

“This will be a enormous task to restore Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.