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The local leader of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

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

“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. 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 frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

Solomon stated that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over 500,000 residents without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

The mayor is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he informed reporters.

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