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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

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

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of water at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is without running water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. One official previously described the town as under water, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now concentrating on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.