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The local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

“We experienced 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 increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest region of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the priority 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 persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

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

“It is going to be a massive task to restore Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.