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This local leader of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.

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

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon noted hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. That was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, located in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and most buildings have had their roofs. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million residents without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people 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.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and better,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.