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

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is without water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofing. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are feeling, 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 explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.