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This local leader of the town of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, the mayor recalled enduring the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel difficulties.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and most buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the suffering that persons are feeling, 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 local currency to rebuild the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

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

“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and better,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.