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This local leader of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, the mayor recalled riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

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

Several people from the town are reported dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa came 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 4.8 metres of water at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying 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 scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now concentrating on working to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off 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.

The prime minister has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous task to restore Black River. But although it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.