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The mayor of the town of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the disaster.

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

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

Five individuals from the town are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We experienced 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 more, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most structures have lost their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents without power. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

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

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

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.