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The mayor of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

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

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes 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 dire straits at this time,” he adds.

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

“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and better,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.