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The local leader of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary 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 power, and most structures have had their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the pain 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 point,” he explains.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.