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The local leader of the town of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying 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 terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and most buildings have had their roofing. An authority earlier described the town as under water, with over half a million residents without power. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now focused on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority 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 time,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.