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The mayor of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous 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 operating centre.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most structures have had their roofing. One official earlier described the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

He is now concentrating on working to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged 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 aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and better,” he told reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.