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This mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread destruction caused by the catastrophe.

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

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted hearing reports of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That 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 experience for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously described the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.

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

“This will be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.