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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 destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“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 I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is without running water and electricity, and most buildings have had their roofing. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now concentrating on working 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 fully grasp 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 billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the damage personally, with an flyover of the region showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.