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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation difficulties.

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

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is without water and power, and most structures have had their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with over 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he says, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.