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The mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

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

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is without water and power, and most buildings have had their roofing. An authority earlier described the town as under water, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

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

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

The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But although it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.