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This mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.

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

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. 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 houses and trying to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.