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This mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane 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 experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, located in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.