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

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

“We experienced 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 further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

Solomon stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofing. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

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

National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.