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This mayor of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 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 designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is without water and power, and most structures have lost their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus 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 the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and improved,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.