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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.

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

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying 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.”

The mayor stated that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is lacking water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofs. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged 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 getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing 80 to 90% 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 envision a future of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.