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This local leader of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

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

“The entire town of Black River 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 reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That 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 moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with more than half a million residents without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their belongings.

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

The mayor is now focused on working to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he says, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

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

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the region revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.

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