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The mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon described enduring the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel difficulties.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is without running water and electricity, and most buildings have lost their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now concentrating on trying to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons 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.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to restore Black River. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it emerging stronger and better,” he told reporters.

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