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The mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.

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

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

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

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

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and most buildings have had their roofs. One official previously described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now concentrating on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

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

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he told reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.