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This mayor of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

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

Five individuals from the town are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he says, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to restore Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and improved,” he told reporters.

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