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The mayor of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from the town are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other deaths 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 pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It 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 climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region 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 while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.