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This local leader of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon described enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now concentrating on trying to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated 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 supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.