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This mayor of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

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

Five individuals from the town are confirmed to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with more than half a million residents without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. My roof went, so I do understand the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying 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 severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

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

“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and better,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.