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This mayor of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, 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 Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. One official previously described the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now focused on working to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has seen the devastation 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 undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and improved,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.