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The mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, the mayor described riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of additional deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise 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.”

The mayor explained that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on trying to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

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

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the region revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he told reporters.

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