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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 destruction caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, located in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get 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 will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.