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

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

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

Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. It 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 frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofs. One official previously described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority 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.

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

“This will be a enormous task to restore Black River. But although it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and better,” he informed local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.