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The local leader of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense flooding and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, the mayor described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft of water 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.”

Solomon stated that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is without water and power, and the majority of structures have lost their roofing. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

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

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

“This will be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and better,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.