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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel difficulties.

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

“We got up to 16ft of flooding 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 second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and most buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to salvage their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now focused on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing 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 deliver aid in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

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