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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon noted hearing reports of additional deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping 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 terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is lacking running water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

The mayor is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally covered 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 securing assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to restore Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he told reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.