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This mayor of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, the mayor recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

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

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. That was a bit scary 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 rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. One official previously described the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get 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 need at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the damage personally, with an flyover of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But although it is damaged, we can vision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.