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The local leader of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous storm surges and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.

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

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary 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 terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most structures have lost their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.

“My vehicle was completely 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 concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

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

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