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The mayor of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying 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 scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is without running water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the damage personally, with an flyover of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.