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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of the area, is without running water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.

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