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

Speaking on the harrowing experience, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from the town are reported dead, but Solomon noted hearing reports of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary 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 climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon stated that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without water and power, and most structures have had their roofing. An authority earlier described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned 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 every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now focused on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore Black River. But although it is destroyed, 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 overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.