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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and extensive devastation caused by the catastrophe.

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

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel difficulties.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and most buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the priority 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 deliver relief supplies in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to restore Black River. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

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