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This mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

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

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is lacking running water and power, and most buildings have had their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get 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 provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

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

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.