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This mayor of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and extensive devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. That 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 climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and most structures have lost their roofing. One official previously described the town as under water, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

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

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

Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

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

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.