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This local leader of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

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

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is without water and electricity, and most structures have lost their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.