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The mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of this area is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary 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 rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. One official earlier described the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles 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 individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies 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 dire straits at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told 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 affirmed.